Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage

Bunheads #2

by Misty Copeland, Setor Fiadzigbey (illustrator)

The Instant New York Times Bestselling Bunheads by Misty Copeland gets a second act.

Misty and her bunhead crew are back! And this time, they’re excited to learn the ballet Don Quixote—a wondrous tale about a brave knight searching for his Dulcinea, his one true love.

Misty’s best friend, Cat, loves this ballet most of all. She thinks Don Quixote’s quest to find love is romantic, but she also knows the story’s real hero is Kitri, the daughter of an innkeeper, who boldly defies her father to marry for love instead of money.

The class is spellbound as Cat tells them the story, and their teacher agrees Don Quixote is the perfect next ballet for their class to perform.

The bunheads get right to work learning the ballet. Misty hopes to land the role of Cupid, and she knows the role of the strong-willed Kitri could only be played by Cat. But when Cat is injured and unable to perform, she weathers her disappointment with courage and a dose of girl power that would make Kitri proud.

Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage is an inspiring tale for anyone who’s ever suffered a setback or had a dream deferred.

Setor Fiadzigbey returns to bring Misty Copeland’s bunhead crew to vibrant life with illustrations that will enthrall.

Genres: Picture Books

33 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Misty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history.

Reviews

[Darlena Glenn]

Misty Copeland is so inspiring to me. I am formulating in my mind an essay about my appreciation and patronage of the art of dance as "Documenting Life: Dance Dreams." I have been influenced by the former dance teacher at my elementary school who I was fortunate to take an adult class with. She teaches the Katherine Dunham's method. Three of her daughters attended my elementary school and I have witnessed their dancing over the years even to see one of her daughters graduate college at UNCG where she performed in the senior recital. I was fortunate to see the youngest daughter graduate high school and witnessed her dance in an annual program at the historic Hillside High School. As a family I have seen them dance in cultural programs in Durham, Cary, and Raleigh, NC. In addition, I have witnessed several students I taught featured in community dance shows at The Carolina Theatre and Duke Reynolds & Page Auditoriums. I have witnessed various forms of professional and student dance in the Triangle and Triad areas on many different occasions. I have a lot of source events to write about. Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage is not just for dancers, but for arts appreciators such as myself. Thank you, M.C.

[Vanity La’Gail]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

Not just a story of courage, but also a love story and a coming-of-age story. A beautiful one at that.

Things I loved:

-As a former ballerina (or ballet girl), I absolutely loved this; it brought back much nostalgia.
-Reading it with my daughter made it even sweeter.
-I really appreciated that boys were represented in the ballet space too.

The story touched on culture, courage, and friendship, and to know me is to know I love GOOD friendship in books.

Final thought(s):
A beautiful continuation that celebrates culture, love, dance, discipline, and heart.
This is perfect for any young reader, but more so for any young one or who’s ever dreamed of being on stage or struggles with what comes with it.

[Felita Hawkins]

Bunheads: Act 2 continues Misty Copeland’s inspiring story of life in ballet, following the young dancers from the first book as they grow in skill, confidence, and teamwork. This sequel highlights dedication, perseverance, and the joy of performing together. Misty beautifully captures the excitement and challenges of preparing for a new production, showing readers that progress takes patience and practice. With graceful illustrations and an encouraging message, Bunheads: Act 2 is a delightful and motivating read for young dreamers who love dance and determination.

[Emma & Evelyn Read]

This is another time when I wish Goodreads had additional star ratings because this one was more of a 3.5 or 3.75!

The illustrations were beautiful and the story of Don Quixote mixed with dancing was fun. I do think that it was a little mature for young readers and didn’t quite keep my daughter’s attention. It has a lot of detail. This may be a good fit for older elementary or for any real dance lovers out there!

[Julie]

This is a sweet and inspiring story of two young friends and dancers who support each other through ups and downs. I loved the positive message and example of how friends can support each other even when in competition. This is especially good for young dancers to hear. The artwork is beautiful, although I would have liked to see more variety of body shapes to show that not all dancers are slim and statuesque.

[Sequella Coleman]

Bunheads - the dance of courage. Wonderful illustrations to a good story. The wording and message is mature for a young picture book reader. The telling of the Don Quixote story was a bit distracting.

Ambitious story. Loved the predictable character hurt but supportive of others messaging.

Misty’s dance language in words.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin]

Wordy and convoluted, this sequel to the bestselling Bunheads reads like a mashup of an abridged YA novel, a plot summary of the ballet Don Quixote, and a teleplay for a dance drama. Digital illustrations make Misty and Cat look more like adults than preteens. Be bold, yes, and more concise.

[Diana]

I am guessing a ballet-loving kid would enjoy this book, but mine were a little bored by the story.

[SYLVIE Holt]

I had so much fun reading the two Bunheads books with my grand daughter!

[Ashley Spilman]

Beautiful story!!!!