Bessie and Ninny are the best of friends. Bessie tells the story of their friendship, of Oppa, Ninny's wise grandfather, and of the very special dance all three of them share. An extraordinary story that speaks to children and adults alike about the value of promises and the limitless power of love.

"My young jury asked to have [The Last Dance] read to them again-and they got the point: 'Those we love are never really gone as long as their stories are told.' Debrah Santini's masterful sketches and water-colors tell as much as the text." -- The Horn Book

Professional storyteller Carmen Deedy contributes regular commentary to National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," and performs at festivals, schools, bookstores, and museums across the nation. She's also appeared at conferences of the American Library Association, the Southeastern Booksellers Association, the International Reading Association, and Whole Language Umbrella. Deedy is the author of Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story, Treeman, The Library Dragon, and The Last Dance.
Debrah Santini has illustrated a number of children's books, including THE LAST DANCE (Carmen Agra Deedy), CINDERELLA (Christine San Jose), TULIPS (Jay O'Callahan), THE BABY WHO WOULD NOT COME DOWN (Joan Knight), SANTA'S SECRET HELPER (Andrew Clements), and WISHING (Ruth Tiller). She received her master of fine arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is a faculty member of the art department at West Georgia University.