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Candlewick Biographies
Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire
Follow the footsteps of two persevering siblings who danced their way into a cherished place in the spotlight.
In 1905, four-and-a-half-year-old Fred Astaire put on his first pair of dancing shoes — and from that moment, his life was filled with singing, dancing, and fancy footwork. Fred’s older sister, Adele, was the real dancer, but Fred worked hard to get all the steps just right, and it wasn’t long before he was the one capturing headlines and stealing the show. In this fascinating story of child stars who hoof their way to knockout success on Broadway and beyond, Roxane Orgill and Stéphane Jorisch team up for a bravura performance, capturing the sophistication, fluidity, and grace of two of the biggest names in dance history.
In 1905, four-and-a-half-year-old Fred Astaire put on his first pair of dancing shoes — and from that moment, his life was filled with singing, dancing, and fancy footwork. Fred’s older sister, Adele, was the real dancer, but Fred worked hard to get all the steps just right, and it wasn’t long before he was the one capturing headlines and stealing the show. In this fascinating story of child stars who hoof their way to knockout success on Broadway and beyond, Roxane Orgill and Stéphane Jorisch team up for a bravura performance, capturing the sophistication, fluidity, and grace of two of the biggest names in dance history.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2007
96 people want to read
About the author
Roxane Orgill
12 books24 followersRoxane Orgill is an award-winning writer on music and the author of JAZZ DAY: THE MAKING OF A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH, illustrated by Francis Vallejo (Candlewick Press). JAZZ DAY earned six starred reviews and won The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book in 2016. Orgill has written several biographies for young readers, including SKIT-SCAT RAGGEDY CAT: ELLA FITZGERALD and FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE (Candlewick). She is also the author of DREAM LUCKY, a book for adults about big-band jazz, race, and politics in the 1930s (Smithsonian Books). She lives in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 17, 2011
As someone who loves Broadway and is very interested in early movie musicals, vaudeville, and this era in general, I am probably a perfect audience for this book (even if I am not a kid!) And I really, really liked it. I think most of us know of Fred Astaire from his movies, leading man to Ginger Rodgers, box-office rival of that other gentleman of fancy footwork Gene Kelly, with top hat and twinkle-toes. This is the story of Fred before his Hollywood days. And, yes, I really do think the story is about Fred even though it says it's about Fred AND Adele. She features prominently in the story as his first partner, his older sister and best friend--and, indeed, the main star of their childhood shows (Fred was second-fiddle) but I do think the story is biased in Fred's favor (which did annoy me just a tad in a supposed biography about the two of them). I'm not sure there's anything especially magical about the storytelling here but I was captivated since I enjoy the subject and I didn't know Fred came from such humble beginnings. Perhaps most inspiring is not his and Adele's early "stardom" on the vaudeville circuit as children but rather how they reinvented themselves as older teens after their cutesy-kid act was no longer popular; at one point, they were sharing one baked potato for a meal and had to give up the prime dressing room in a dingy theater to a group of traveling seals! Fred's strong work ethic and ingenuity shine through here and that, coupled with his raw talent, made him the star we know today while Adele chose another route. The accompanying illustrations are evocative of the era and provide just the right blend of charm and humor. Highly recommended for fans of theater, dance, old Hollywood and, of course, Fred Astaire! Though I must say that the style and text-heavy nature might make this a bit boring for young children especially if they are not already interested in the subject.
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August 13, 2019This is a children’s book that tells the story of Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, his first dancing partner. They had a career that spanned almost 30 years, starting in small time vaudeville, then big time, then they became huge stars on Broadway and in London’s West End. When Adele got married, they split and Fred went on to make movies.
The book starts out well, and along with the gorgeous illustrations, it’s really quite cute. It reads a bit like a fairytale. The huge jumps in time between the pages are no big deal, but what’s more bothersome is that there is very little detail. Of course I wasn’t expecting an academic text or anything, but still it lacked depth. It somehow feels quite superficial.
Then it ends very abruptly, closing the story with Adele getting married and Fred going to Hollywood, and that’s it. It would have been nice if the book somehow could have portrayed how close they remained even after they parted ways professionally. Their unique relationship was generally not highlighted enough. I am certain that children would respond much more to this story if it conveyed how symbiotic and inseparable these two were. As it is, it lacks an emotional core, thus missing an opportunity to connect to the reader on a more personal level. While you do get a glimpse into their very different characters, it’s way too subtle for them to appear like fully fleshed-out personalities.
I also found it a little odd that this children’s book ends with a list of recommended books on Astaire that are only of interest to adults. The author seems uncertain about her target audience.
The highlight here, without a doubt, are the beautiful illustrations by Stephane Jorisch. Sadly, the text wasn’t quite on that level. At least it contained no misinformation, which is often the case with books on Fred Astaire.
The book starts out well, and along with the gorgeous illustrations, it’s really quite cute. It reads a bit like a fairytale. The huge jumps in time between the pages are no big deal, but what’s more bothersome is that there is very little detail. Of course I wasn’t expecting an academic text or anything, but still it lacked depth. It somehow feels quite superficial.
Then it ends very abruptly, closing the story with Adele getting married and Fred going to Hollywood, and that’s it. It would have been nice if the book somehow could have portrayed how close they remained even after they parted ways professionally. Their unique relationship was generally not highlighted enough. I am certain that children would respond much more to this story if it conveyed how symbiotic and inseparable these two were. As it is, it lacks an emotional core, thus missing an opportunity to connect to the reader on a more personal level. While you do get a glimpse into their very different characters, it’s way too subtle for them to appear like fully fleshed-out personalities.
I also found it a little odd that this children’s book ends with a list of recommended books on Astaire that are only of interest to adults. The author seems uncertain about her target audience.
The highlight here, without a doubt, are the beautiful illustrations by Stephane Jorisch. Sadly, the text wasn’t quite on that level. At least it contained no misinformation, which is often the case with books on Fred Astaire.
January 14, 2014
The forty-page picture book focuses on Adele and Fred's childhood years and shows the development of Fred's life-long perfectionist trait. Wonderful illustrations by Stephane Jorisch. The author included good quotes and excellent descriptions of their hard early vaudeville days. Later, she reveals details about Adele's clothes and Fred's purchase of a Rolls Royce to show their success. The back matter in a kid-friendly tone includes videos, documentary films available in libraries, all examples of good research. This book is about the two dancers, and Adele left the partnership in her twenties to pursue a private life. Fred continued dancing with new partners and went to Hollywood--and the text ends. I was surprised. I wanted a more satisfying ending as most of us know, Fred continued to entertain for many years. The author does not mention his death or Adele's. The abrupt ending is my reason for the 4 stars.
March 24, 2024
Beautiful picture book serves not only as biography but as social history-- vaudeville and so on. Illustrations are gorgeous.
April 12, 2018
Biography #1
This was a fun, short biography about Fred and Adele Astaire. This would be a fun book to use when integrating dance or art in the classroom. I will also keep this book in mind for students that love dancing and need a book that they can connect to.
This was a fun, short biography about Fred and Adele Astaire. This would be a fun book to use when integrating dance or art in the classroom. I will also keep this book in mind for students that love dancing and need a book that they can connect to.
April 3, 2018
Category: Biography
This book is about Fred and Adele Astaire and explains the course of their life in a simple, fun way.
This book is about Fred and Adele Astaire and explains the course of their life in a simple, fun way.
August 11, 2018
I liked the historical depictions of the era but it didn’t have a lot of facts about Fred and Adele. Also, it should have included a photo of what they really looked like.
May 5, 2019
Simple and enjoyable
March 5, 2013
Richie's Picks: FOOTWORK: THE STORY OF FRED AND ADELE ASTAIRE by Roxane Orgill and Stephane Jorisch, ill., Candlewick, 2007, 48p., ISBN: 978-0-7636-2121-6
"[Michael] Jackson, who had a thorough knowledge of the movie musical, revered Fred Astaire. He record[ed] in his memoir how thrilled he was when Astaire praised him. The old master even invited him over to his house, where Jackson taught the moonwalk to him and his choreographer Hermes Pan. (Astaire told Jackson that both of them, he and Jackson, danced out of anger -- an interesting remark, at least about Astaire.) But despite Jackson's awe of his predecessor, he never learned the two rules that Astaire, as soon as he gained power over the filming, insisted on: (1) don't interrupt the dance with reaction shots or any other extraneous shots, and (2) favor a full-body shot over a closeup. To Astaire the dance was primary -- his main story -- and he had it filmed accordingly."
-- Joan Acocella, "Walking on the Moon: Michael Jackson in Motion" from The New Yorker (2009)
"The Wedding Cake Act went over big in Keyport, New Jersey -- so big that it landed the children a spot on the big-time vaudeville circuit. Vaudeville was a kind of variety show. In 1906, there was no radio or television, and movies with sound hadn't been invented yet, so people went to vaudeville. For a quarter, they could see marvelous, impossible things. Joe Cook juggled while standing on a high wire. A man with no arms shuffled and dealt cards and played the violin -- with his feet. Eddie Foy smiled his crooked smile like a crescent moon turned on its side and sang 'Garden of Roses' in a cracked, winsome voice. There were trick bicyclists, talking dogs, a wrestling pony, and pigs playing seesaw. And Sandow, the strongest man in the world. He could hold out at arm's length two bicyclists, one in each hand.
"Twice a day, Fred and Adele went up onstage and did the steps Mr. Alvienne had taught them, and people clapped as if they had never seen anything like it. Afterward, Fred watched the rest of the show from the wings. He stood in the cold and spidery dark for hours and caught every wink, trick, and beat.
"At the end of the week, Fred, Adele, and Mother packed up their tubes of greasepaint, their wardrobe trunks, the two wedding cake [props], and a few belongings and traveled to another theater in another town."
It had to be a pretty intense dichotomy: On one hand, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele were kids in the spotlight receiving enthusiastic applause. On the other hand, they had no real friends except for one another. They lived what passed for their "normal" lives while traveling on steam trains in-between theaters with their mother, while their father stayed at home earning money from a brewery job. And that big break -- at least the money part of it -- always seemed to be somewhere not quite yet in sight.
Until, at last, it all changed for them big time.
FOOTWORK is the latest in Candlewick's republishing of their picture book biographies into a uniform, chapter-book scaled trim size. But it is a really interesting bio that I missed the first time around and am really happy to have gotten to read it now. Thanks to YouTube (search for Fred Astaire dancing), you can provide a visual demonstration to young readers as to why it might be worth their while to read about this iconic entertainer from the last century who made the leap from vaudeville to the big screen.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"[Michael] Jackson, who had a thorough knowledge of the movie musical, revered Fred Astaire. He record[ed] in his memoir how thrilled he was when Astaire praised him. The old master even invited him over to his house, where Jackson taught the moonwalk to him and his choreographer Hermes Pan. (Astaire told Jackson that both of them, he and Jackson, danced out of anger -- an interesting remark, at least about Astaire.) But despite Jackson's awe of his predecessor, he never learned the two rules that Astaire, as soon as he gained power over the filming, insisted on: (1) don't interrupt the dance with reaction shots or any other extraneous shots, and (2) favor a full-body shot over a closeup. To Astaire the dance was primary -- his main story -- and he had it filmed accordingly."
-- Joan Acocella, "Walking on the Moon: Michael Jackson in Motion" from The New Yorker (2009)
"The Wedding Cake Act went over big in Keyport, New Jersey -- so big that it landed the children a spot on the big-time vaudeville circuit. Vaudeville was a kind of variety show. In 1906, there was no radio or television, and movies with sound hadn't been invented yet, so people went to vaudeville. For a quarter, they could see marvelous, impossible things. Joe Cook juggled while standing on a high wire. A man with no arms shuffled and dealt cards and played the violin -- with his feet. Eddie Foy smiled his crooked smile like a crescent moon turned on its side and sang 'Garden of Roses' in a cracked, winsome voice. There were trick bicyclists, talking dogs, a wrestling pony, and pigs playing seesaw. And Sandow, the strongest man in the world. He could hold out at arm's length two bicyclists, one in each hand.
"Twice a day, Fred and Adele went up onstage and did the steps Mr. Alvienne had taught them, and people clapped as if they had never seen anything like it. Afterward, Fred watched the rest of the show from the wings. He stood in the cold and spidery dark for hours and caught every wink, trick, and beat.
"At the end of the week, Fred, Adele, and Mother packed up their tubes of greasepaint, their wardrobe trunks, the two wedding cake [props], and a few belongings and traveled to another theater in another town."
It had to be a pretty intense dichotomy: On one hand, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele were kids in the spotlight receiving enthusiastic applause. On the other hand, they had no real friends except for one another. They lived what passed for their "normal" lives while traveling on steam trains in-between theaters with their mother, while their father stayed at home earning money from a brewery job. And that big break -- at least the money part of it -- always seemed to be somewhere not quite yet in sight.
Until, at last, it all changed for them big time.
FOOTWORK is the latest in Candlewick's republishing of their picture book biographies into a uniform, chapter-book scaled trim size. But it is a really interesting bio that I missed the first time around and am really happy to have gotten to read it now. Thanks to YouTube (search for Fred Astaire dancing), you can provide a visual demonstration to young readers as to why it might be worth their while to read about this iconic entertainer from the last century who made the leap from vaudeville to the big screen.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
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October 15, 2013Title: Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire
Author: Roxane Orgill
Illustrator: Stephane Jorisch
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Year: 2013 (first edition in this format); 2007 copyright
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6460-2
Number of pages: 41
Price: $14.99
Format: Nonfiction
Genre: Biography
Audience (grades): 1 - 4
Rating: Recommended
Review: Most of us think of Ginger Rogers as the female companion to Fred Astaire, yet it was his talented older sister Adele with whom Fred began dancing. As a young boy, “along for the ride”, Fred moved with his mother and sister to New York so Adele could attend dancing school. They soon began performing vaudeville and living on steam trains that transported them from theatre to theatre. With each other as their only friend, the sister and younger brother performed in a special bride and groom act. When Adele was turning a mature thirteen and Fred was still a small nine year old, the bride and groom act became nonsensical, and they returned home to take a rest. They returned to the circuit two years later, no longer adorable young kids, and they found their opportunities more limited. With a new teacher and with Fred’s diligent worrying and attention, they got better and better, and they soon stopped traveling and performing vaudeville to be in musical comedies on Broadway. The show moved to London and Adele fell in love and married, leaving Fred to try new things. The book ends with Fred’s move to Hollywood in 1933, and while he lived to 1987, the rest is history! An interesting look into the early life of a disciplined and hardworking man some consider the father of dance in film, and one of the greatest musical performers.
Author: Roxane Orgill
Illustrator: Stephane Jorisch
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Year: 2013 (first edition in this format); 2007 copyright
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6460-2
Number of pages: 41
Price: $14.99
Format: Nonfiction
Genre: Biography
Audience (grades): 1 - 4
Rating: Recommended
Review: Most of us think of Ginger Rogers as the female companion to Fred Astaire, yet it was his talented older sister Adele with whom Fred began dancing. As a young boy, “along for the ride”, Fred moved with his mother and sister to New York so Adele could attend dancing school. They soon began performing vaudeville and living on steam trains that transported them from theatre to theatre. With each other as their only friend, the sister and younger brother performed in a special bride and groom act. When Adele was turning a mature thirteen and Fred was still a small nine year old, the bride and groom act became nonsensical, and they returned home to take a rest. They returned to the circuit two years later, no longer adorable young kids, and they found their opportunities more limited. With a new teacher and with Fred’s diligent worrying and attention, they got better and better, and they soon stopped traveling and performing vaudeville to be in musical comedies on Broadway. The show moved to London and Adele fell in love and married, leaving Fred to try new things. The book ends with Fred’s move to Hollywood in 1933, and while he lived to 1987, the rest is history! An interesting look into the early life of a disciplined and hardworking man some consider the father of dance in film, and one of the greatest musical performers.
August 26, 2016
This well-researched picture book biography introduces readers to the brother-sister dancing duo that took Vaudeville and Broadway by storm. The book traces the siblings from the day four and half year old Fred began to dance through to Fred’s successful movie career. Although Orgill spotlights the high points in both siblings’ careers, she doesn’t shy away from depicting the hard times the family went through or the disappointments the duo experienced on the road. The illustrations are exaggerated and full of movement. The length and depth of the text makes this book suitable for elementary school aged children and older. Source notes and further reading/listening/viewing suggestions are included at the end of the book.
Read More at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Read More at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
May 2, 2015
I call children's non-fiction "speed dating a topic". In 35 pages, half of which are full page illustrations, it's difficult to do more than brush over the basics. I rather doubt many children today would have any idea who these people are or why they should care about them at all and I'm not sure this book can breach that gap. However, for anyone who has seen any of Astaire's films, it is a nice little peek into his life.
Could children today appreciate the fact that for a time Fred and his sister Adele had only a hard boiled egg to split between them for supper? I think there is some value in exposing any of us to the degree of sacrifice and dedication successful people are able and willing to commit themselves to to achieve their goals and dreams.
Could children today appreciate the fact that for a time Fred and his sister Adele had only a hard boiled egg to split between them for supper? I think there is some value in exposing any of us to the degree of sacrifice and dedication successful people are able and willing to commit themselves to to achieve their goals and dreams.
May 29, 2014
Fred and Adele were brother and sister, and they were both dancers.The story of them in this book didn't finish, when Fred and Adele stop performing together. While other sources are cited at the end, readers would absolutely want more. They experienced from success to frustrated, and success again.
The texts of this book are so long that it is not suitable to read aloud in class. But children can read by themselves and discuss about this book in small group. After read, children should find more information about what happened after that online.
The texts of this book are so long that it is not suitable to read aloud in class. But children can read by themselves and discuss about this book in small group. After read, children should find more information about what happened after that online.
March 3, 2009
In picturebook format, this is the story of Fred Astaire and his sister Adele and how they grew up in Vaudeville and developed their dancing talent. It's a great untold story about a long-time favorite. The text is a little choppy and seems to leave a lot to the prior knowledge or assumptions of the reader, which for kids, might not be there at all. Parents may have to fill in a bit for the kids.
December 18, 2012
I really liked the beginning of this book about Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele. It tells, at great length, about how their careers began. However, I felt like I had been kicked to the curb at the end... in fact, it says "The end" at the end, which was really the only indication that the story was over. If you want to learn about vaudeville, this is a pretty good book, but it's sort of short on what made Fred Astaire really famous.
October 19, 2015
Although it is a biography, this book is very entertaining and engaging. The illustrations allow the text to dance off of the stage. The text is not dry like many biographies. It is written in very exciting and fun language and explains the life of the Astaire's in a beautiful manner. I loved every second of it. The illustrations take the entire story a step further letting you see the groove within the piece.
May 25, 2010
Since I am a Fred Astaire fan, I enjoyed this story of his early life and Vaudeville career with his sister, Adele. In some ways, not much happens, but young readers may become inspired by Fred's hard work and/or want to see evidence (films) of the genius Astaire was in his life after Adele. The artwork fits well with the time period.
December 5, 2012
Such a wonderfully illustrated book about Fred and Adele Astaire. This would be a great book for students to read and use if they needed to write about someone in an essay. It goes through their lives and the many ups and downs that they had to endure at such a young age. It a fabulously written story about to very famous stars.
July 3, 2008
Part of my growing dance picture book collection. This picture book seems confused about its audience: the art is fantastic and would draw anyone in, but the text is a bit distant and too much like a biography instead of a story.
August 26, 2016
The biggest flaw in this is a lack of detail. While the story of Fred and Adele is well-told, this biography is not very useful for reports. The story pretty much ends when Fred and Adele stop performing together. While other sources are cited at the end, I was absolutely salivating wanting more.
January 21, 2008
A kid's biography about Fred Astaire and his sister. Great illustrations and I like the story because it stops before Fred becomes a movie star. We just learn about his childhood
Want to read
May 14, 2008How I love dear Fred, and believe he and Adele were the inspiration for Stephen and Sylvia Sprague in the Williamsburg Novels...
April 20, 2013
Fun picturebook biography. Childhood of icon dancer was enjoyable....
June 28, 2013
there is a terrific resource list at the back of the book including some great train sites.
December 4, 2014
I loved watching Fred Astaire movies growing up and didn't know much about him.
August 28, 2016
Good story of the Astaires.
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March 1, 2018Biography - Beautiful story of Fred and his sister Adele and how they grew up in theater. Lesson in hard work.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews