Children's Books discussion

This month participants can read about all sorts of dance, whether folk, ballet, waltz, modern, or any other type of dance. The books could be about the history of a certain dance, or instructions for how to perform a certain dance, or a biography of a famous dancer.

Ah, well, this is right up my ally :-) I'll try to post back soon with some of my favorites from my long list of dance-themed picture books.

Are you considering fiction or just non-fiction for this thread?

This novel is probably more suitable for teenaged readers, but I really enjoyed the ballet descriptions in Eugenie Doyle’s According to Kit (and unlike other reviewers, while I certainly have found how Kit deals with being hit on by her new and sexy male dance teacher quite uncomfortable, I also think that Doyle paints a rather and sadly realistic picture and that this is a positive).

And no, I most definitely do not at all find it acceptable that Kit’s mother is able to just yank her daughter out of school and then does such a really substandard job homeschooling Kit, and especially the fact that Kit has absolutely no say in the matter, that she must leave school simply because her mother decides and dictatorially insists on this and even has a legal right to do this without her daughter having any voice (and even though Kit clearly loves attending school, being at school).

Does Ballet Shoes still hold up? I read it again as an adult but it's never made my top favorites list. Dancing Shoes isn't as good.

For 10-12 year olds+ Ribbons
As a teen I really enjoyed the excerpt in American Girl Magazine. I think I did eventually read the whole novel and it wasn't as good as I hoped. The main character is an American girl of Chinese descent who is passionate about ballet. When her grandmother from China arrives, her life is turned upside down. Grandma prefers the little brother. Robin tries to bond with Grandma asking for help tying the ribbons on her toe shoes and Grandma is horrified by Robin's disfigured feet. She orders Robin to stop dancing. There's a reason for her horror and disgust and it's really interesting. The major theme of the novel is more Chinese-American life and culture and the clashes between the immigrant generation and their American born (and in this case bi-racial) children.

For teen readers Marie, Dancing has a lot of good history behind the story of the young girl who posed for Edgar Degas's famous statue "French: La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans." I don't know how accurate it is for Marie, specifically, but it's accurate enough for life in Paris at that time. I liked Marie's ambitions and dreams but understood her sister's position as well. Their lives were really rough. Prior to reading this I didn't understand the implications in The Phantom of the Opera about Raoul going backstage and seeing Christine again. That puts a different spin on the romance. (That is more spelled out in the novel than in the musical).

Kathryn wrote: "Ah, well, this is right up my ally :-) I'll try to post back soon with some of my favorites from my long list of dance-themed picture books.

Are you considering fiction or just non-fiction for th..."

I was really thinking non-fiction, but if participants want to share dance novels that they enjoyed, that is perfectly fine.

QNPoohBear wrote: "Does Ballet Shoes still hold up?"

I haven't read it it years, but it was one of my favorites. I imagine it would still be popular among young dance lovers if they have the attention spans for something a bit slower-paced and "classic"

Beverly wrote: "I was really thinking non-fiction, but if participants want to share dance novels that they enjoyed, that is perfectly fine. ."

Okay :-)

Beverly wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Ah, well, this is right up my ally :-) I'll try to post back soon with some of my favorites from my long list of dance-themed picture books.

Are you considering fiction or just no..."

Thanks, I definitely have more fiction dance books to post about than non fiction ones.

I agree Dancing Shoes wasn't as good as Ballet Shoes. I did recently read one of her more obscure books, Gemma and really enjoyed it, though I don't think it probably stands the test of time quite as well as Ballet Shoes. Gemma is an actress but one of the cousins she lives with is very much into dance and there's even more focus on dance in the sequel, Gemma and Sisters.

I've mentioned these in the Picture Book Club, but for purposes of a more complete list here:

Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
Lyrically told story with lovely illustrations about inspirational and talented ballerina, Janet Collins, first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House. I enjoyed reading it and I appreciated learning more about Collins, though I did feel the text was too sparse on some important details that only the Author's Note filled in (this appears to be an unfortunate trend in picture book biographies these days, or maybe it's just the ones I've been reading lately). Adults reading this should start with the biographical information in the back, then read the story, IMO. And they will probably need to fill in a few details to the younger readers who may not like to sit through the whole bio in the back.

Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina
Love, love, love this book! Rosemary Wells' mother knew Maria Tallchief and Rosemary, inspired by her mother's love of dance and dancing career, wanted to write a picture book biography of Tallchief so she spoke with Tallchief about her memories of ballet, starting as a very young dancer up to the beginning of her professional career. The result is this beautiful and inspiring book. (It is told in first person, and though I'm sure Welles added her own literary nuances, I think the first person aspect is a nice touch.) I was deeply touched by Maria's love for dance-and surprised to discover that she also shared a love of music since I only knew of her as a ballerina. When it comes time for her to choose whether she wanted to pursue music or dance full-time, it was a difficult choice and I could feel her sacrifice at having to choose only one, but I love her reason behind choosing dance and it shows that she never really gave up the music that sang within her. More than just a story about a ballerina or a musician, though, this is a wonderful glimpse into the 1930s and early 1940s, when Maria was growing up. She was born to a father of the Osage Native American tribe and a mother of Scots-Irish descent; there is some interesting history and culture here, like how the Osage people got rich when the oil fields were discovered on their lands so Maria's family was fairly well-to-do for the era. Maria's family moves to Los Angeles so she and her sister (also a dancer) can receive better training. I love the description of LA at the time, when the sky was clear and blue (ah, those were the days!) and the little city was surrounded by orange groves! There are also some really great insights into the dancer's life, from bad teachers (who made Maria and her sister dance en pointe when they were too young, a big no-no!) to the beautiful moment when the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo comes to LA and Maria sees her first professional ballet performance and knows that she wants to be among the company. She has truly found her bliss! Highly recommended to any young dancer (or artist of any kind) or anyone seeking a lovely picture book biography of one of America's greatest talents.

Really hoping I can get Alvin Ailey via ILL.
Trying to find more books featuring male dancers. (Max is a classic, but not a biography.)

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot is at the library, I'll try to get it this month. Also, Rap A Tap Tap.

Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire 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

A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Trailblazer! There's a lot to like here. I really enjoyed reading it and found it interesting and touching and beautifully told. Anyone in the theater world knows about Rita Moreno for her Oscar-winning role in West Side Story and she is one of only a very few performers to receive have cinched the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards). The book appears to be thoroughly researched and the back matter includes a timeline; a selected bibliography, articles and quotation sources; and author's note. Rita's love of dance shines through as does her undaunted spirit as she struggles to fit into white society and Hollywood.

If you share this with young children, though, be prepared for some serious talking points such as Rita and her mother leaving her baby brother behind in Puerto Rico so that they could move to America (I'm not sure why the baby brother was never sent for? this part was confusing and unanswered) and assimilating enough to be accepted by Hollywood yet initially accepting roles that portrayed negative racial and gender stereotypes as that was the only way in. In order to break barriers and eventually become the first Latina to win an Oscar, she had to first take roles that made her fake an all-purpose accent to play maidens, slaves and Spanish spitfires -- and even in the iconic West Side Story all the actors had to wear make-up to make all Puerto Ricans appear the same shade of brown*. I can't imagine how hard these decisions were for her and I don't mean to sound judgmental in any way. I could see this being potentially somewhat confusing for young children andmay lead to questions and the need for more discussion especially given the progress made (and still needing to be made) regarding representation for POC on the big and small screen.

The story itself ends with her wining the Oscar but the back matter shows that that Rita Moreno has been an inspiration to many not only for her incredible performances but for her later work for racial and gender equality, childhood education, immigrant families, and relief for her native Puerto Rico.

*Speaking of which, note that several reviewers didn't find that the skin tones in the book were varied enough to portray the rich range of diversity among Puerto Ricans. I did not pick up on that, but looking back through the book I do see that it's somewhat homogeneous though I do think that a variety of skin tones are portrayed so I'm not sure if it is an issue of print quality. Kirkus Reviews says: "Espinosa’s illustrations are as vibrant as the character he portrays. Rosita and her mother have beige skin and black hair, and the New Yorkers are multiethnic, but the people—mostly men—that surround her in Hollywood are White."

Rap A Tap Tap I wasn't as wowed by this as I hoped I would be, though I'm typically a big fan of Leo and Diane Dillon's work. The illustrations and story here are effective in conveying a mood and a style of dance, but I don't feel that it's very strong as a biography. The story itself shows "Bojangles" dancing in the streets here there and everywhere around town. I wanted to know, did he really do that? And, if so, why? Was he a street performer before he turned to the stage and screen? The information in the Afterward is quite sparse and we don't learn anything about Bill Robinson's childhood or what inspired him to dance. I was already familiar with his screen work with Shirley Temple. I did learn that he was the highest paid Black entertainer in the 1930s and that he shared his wealth with less fortunate friends and neighbors through those hard times. I would recommend this only as a very entry level biography for young readers who will probably enjoy the "rap a tap tap" repetition in the story and will probably come away with an appreciation for Bojangles but personally wanted much more from the story or, at least, the Afterward.

Boys Dance! This is such an important and needed book! I highly recommend it to anyone in the dance world, boys and girls. It's engaging and fun and inspiring. I love that it shows not only the artistry of dance but the athleticism. The focus is on ballet, but a spread also includes male dancers in other disciplines such as modern, hip-hop and jazz. I also love how it shows that the skills you learn in dance will help you in so many other aspects of life -- not only physical aspects (such as sports) but ALL aspects because of the mental discipline and mental exercise required (be sure to read the quote on the back cover by Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he mentions how dance helped him in his chosen career path: "Dance is about inspiration and discipline, individual effort and collaboration, listening and observing, leading and following: all good preparation for diplomacy... and for life.") The illustration are lively and engaging and (which is not always the case in dance books) accurate as to the positions and dance moves depicted and I very much appreciate the inclusivity of the boys in the class. The back matter, "Meet the Men of American Ballet Theater" is delightful and has interviews with male dancers from the corps de ballet through principal dancer -- they talk about their childhood interest in dance and I love that the accompanying photos include one of the dancer as a child/youth paired with one of them now as a professional. It's a wonderful inspiration for a young dancer, particularly young male dancers. (It presents a very idealistic view of of boys in ballet, though, and I do point this out in greater detail in my full review.)

Kathryn wrote: "Boys Dance! This is such an important and needed book! I highly recommend it to anyone in the dance world, boys and girls. It's engaging and fun and inspiring. I love that it shows..."

Wonderful discovery!

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
3.5 STARS

Much to enjoy here. It's an inspiring story. The story proper is told in an engaging, age-appropriate way and Sylvia's tenacity and bright spirit shine through. (Love that hand-made barre she made for herself!) I appreciated that, even when she felt like giving up herself, she was inspired to keep dancing to keep teaching the eager young girls who came to take lessons with her. There's also a note from Sylvia herself, and author's note that fills in more details in Sylvia's story, and a delightful "Brief History of the Bookmobile" with accompanying pictures. Photo Credits, References, and For Further Reading round this out.

However, I found myself wanting more. There is a poignant moment in the story when young Sylvia is turned away from local ballet schools and learns that "ballet is for white girls." Yet, as the Author's Note itself mentions, Janet Collins and Raven Wilkinson were already professional ballerinas (seeBrave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins). That is not to say that there weren't extreme barriers to Sylvia (growing up in segregation) to joining a ballet school, but the story itself makes it sound like there were no black ballerinas, which is simply untrue. I do appreciate that, while the story showed the painful prejudice Sylvia faced, it also showed that some white people wanted to help her on her journey, like her teacher who offered to pay for her ballet lessons. I wanted to know more about Madame Sawicka, the Russian ballet teacher who wanted to teach Sylvia and compelled her to do so. Still, overall, it's an engaging story about an inspiring individual and I would recommend it despite my criticisms.

"ballet is for white girls."

Yes, this is the kind of over-simplification and sensationalizing of history that actually backfires. Young readers are likely to feel less inspired to follow role models if they don't know the complete truth.

I'm not sure of the context of the quote, but if that had been said, in the book, by a particularly vile character, or if the word "mostly" had been inserted, I think the book would have been more effective.

At least there were 'good' white ppl and an author's note.

This does sound like a neat book; I will look for it.

So, another item for our checklists. Non-fiction for children (especially) should have notes/ references, be #OwnVoices if relevant, not have Bad Science... and not have Bad History! Whew!!

(I've been keeping all that in my head, but I might need to write up a list!)

Kathryn wrote: "Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
3.5 STARS

Much to enjoy here. It's an inspiring story. The story proper is told in an engaging, age-appropriate wa..."

This one is available at the branch I frequent. I should be able to get it soon.

Cheryl wrote: ""I'm not sure of the context of the quote, but if that had been said, in the book, by a particularly vile character, or if the word "mostly" had been inserted, I think the book would have been more effective. "

Yes, or at least to have added more context such as, "in this part of the country" or "Sylvia realized she had never seen a black ballerina" or something to that effect. Janet Collins trained in California and her teacher was one of the few who accepted black students at the time (but not the only teacher) and this was back in the late 1930s, I believe. The book really is not clear on the exact date of when Sylvia's story takes place. We only know Sylvia was born in 1943 and this is "1950s America" I realize that the general public might not have been aware of Janet Collins at that time. She joined the corps de ballet at the Metropolitan Opera in 1951. But, I know that she faced prejudice and wasn't allowed to perform when they toured the Southern states. So, maybe Sylvia didn't hear of her. Still, there ought to have been more context or a footnote or something. Here's what the story itself says:

Mama, Miss Speidel [the teacher paying for ballet lessons], and I set off to see some ballet schools.
But the first school says, "Too full."
School two says, "No room."
School three whispers, "It just can't be," letting the real reason slip -- ballet is for white girls.
Is ballet notfor girls like me?

Maybe Sylvia didnt' hear of these other dancers. Still, there ought to have been more context so children don't come away with the idea that there were absolutely no black ballet dancers or that Sylvia was the first one. (I imagine some will not read the afterward.)

At least the afterward mentions Collins and Wilkinson, and that Syliva soon learned that ballet was "usually 'for white girls only'" but I just wonder how many people are going to read the afterward (especially with very young children) and I think the story proper will leave them with the wrong idea that absolutely no black girls did ballet or that Townsend was the very first black ballerina. Again, I don't feel it takes away from Sylvia's story because what she did is still quite noteworthy, but, as you said, Cheryl, let's not give children incorrect history simply because it's more expedient to the story at hand.

PS Since this thread is about dance, I'll go a bit farther... let's not forget the male dancers! Lester Horton became Alvin Ailey's mentor when Ailey studied with him (Janet Collins studied with him, too!) Horton founded one of the first racially-integrated dance companies in America which was technically a modern dance company but they did have ballet training. I know I'm stretching a bit here (and I'm not faulting the authors of Sylvia's book for not mentioning this) but I do like to include male dancers as they are so often overlooked. Horton passed away in 1953 at which point Ailey took over for him briefly before founding Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 (their dance style also incorporates ballet). Again, it may be the sad truth that Sylvia simply hadn't heard of them in the segregated South.

It would be lovely to see at least one good picture-book about a real life male dancer... good point!

And yes, while we in this group value notes and other extra matter, not all families can make the time to read those bits with their children and so the text itself should be accurate or at least not misleading.

Kathryn wrote: "A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno: Actor, Singer, Dancer, Trailblazer! There's a lot to like here. I really enjoyed reading it and found it interesting and touching and ..."

I read and enjoyed this story also; however I did not write a review, just gave it 4 stars.

Kathryn wrote: "Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
3.5 STARS

Much to enjoy here. It's an inspiring story. The story proper is told in an engaging, age-appropriate wa..."

I finally received a library copy. I really enjoyed the story and especially the illustrations. However, when Sylvia joins Sawicka's class as a teenager, I did not think the illustration made her look teenager enough. I have a feeling that Sylvia may have been unaware of the other black ballerinas at the time; or, if she was aware, she may have wondered why they got the chance to learn ballet, and she did not.

Beverly wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
3.5 STARS

Much to enjoy here. It's an inspiring story. The story proper is told in an engaging, ag..."

I'm glad you were able to read it and enjoyed it.

Grand Jeté and Me

On one hand, I love Robin Preiss Glasser's illustrations and it's great that she was a professional ballet dancer so she does a nice job illustrating the ballet positions properly. It's also nice that sets and costumes from Balanchine's version of "The Nutcracker" (the costumes by Karinska and sets by Rouben Ter-Arutunian) are shown in the illustrations. I love the idea of the grandmother (former professional ballerina) taking her granddaughter to see the ballet she herself had starred in long ago. The illustration where the grandmother looks up at the prima ballerina, playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy (her own role once upon a time) just caught at my heart -- that look of both pride and longing, joy and sorrow -- feeling grateful that the show does go on, but wishing so desperately that you could still be part of it... those who have loved the stage, and who have had to transition to audience members, will feel that pang.

On the other hand, some of it was just a bit too... precious, or something...? I hate to say this, as Allegra Kent is a very real person, and she was George Balanchine's muse when she danced for the New York City Ballet, and the book is based on her own experiences taking her granddchildren to see the ballet... I don't know, maybe her grandchildren call her "Grande Jete" and they all do ballet steps in the kitchen like the little girl and her grandmother in this story. It all just felt a little too close to "Fancy Nancy" with everything being "Fancy" and somehow it didn't feel as vibrant and fresh as I'd hoped.

Still, I recommend it to those looking for picture books about ballet or grandmother-grandchild outings.

Cheryl recommends Finding My Dance.

Degas and the Dance: The Painter and the Petits Rats, Perfecting their Art

This is a beautiful book that simply explains Degas's process of creating his famous dance paintings with some biographical information about the painter himself. It's less about France than it is about art and dance.

The illustrations are Degas's drawings and paintings. Backmatter includes a long list of sources and art citations.

B Is for Ballet: A Dance Alphabet

While this sounds like a simple alphabet book, it is so much more. Each illustration not only features a ballet term or person, it features famous dancers and choreographers. The extensive backmatter includes a glossary of terminology, a quick list with summaries of famous ballets, very brief bios of choreographers and dancers. This one works well as a read aloud to young ballet fanatics AND as a read to yourself for older kids and adults AND as a resource for learning more about the American Ballet Theatre in New York.

The illustrations show male dancers as well as female, dancers of all skin tones, a wall of photos of Baryshnikov where his torso and legs are bare (if you look closely), a woman in male costume, brief mention of first African American dancer, information about ballets which may not be suitable for children.

It's really lovely though, do read it even if you don't share it with children!

That does look wonderful.

As it happens, I recently picked up When Langston Dances and Boys Dance! which I plan to review in the next few days.

Swan Lake The illustrations are stunning and really capture the beauty and drama of the ballet. If you’re not familiar with the ballet, just know it’s not a happy fairytale, so use caution with young children unless they are okay with darker tales like those from Brothers Grimm. I appreciate the back matter that includes details about the ballet’s original creation. It was on a folktale, music composed by Tschaikovsky and choreography by Petipa and Ivanov (and, despite being one of the most popular ballets now, it was not well received at it’s premier!) It was later adapted by Balanchine, one of the cofounders of the New York City Ballet, and then staged for a full-length version for Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Ballet by their Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins. The version that has been seen at NYCB since 1999 incorporates choreography by all of the above. Back matter also includes tidbits that young audiences might enjoy knowing – for example, the ballerina performing the role of Odile must perform 32 fouettes during the iconic pas de deux; in the last act of the ballet there are 20 white swans and 8 black swans and the tutus are each made from 15 yards of tulle; each performance features more than 70 NYCB dancers, 21 children from the School of American Ballet, and 59 musicians.

Not Just Tutus is another treasure by Rachel Isadora. I love the short verses as each child sums up a challenge. A dancer has to deal with being so motivated to move that she dances in the apartment and breaks a vase. Or be so driven that she's exhausted and yet still wants to go on. Or she may suffer from self-esteem issues if not as tall or slender as the other girls. Or he may feel his tights dropping in the middle of a series of leaps during performance.

I admit that I had trouble realizing, at first, that different children were 'speaking' on different pages. There is diversity, but the line drawings and the similar hairstyles and practice outfits make them look too similar to me... and it would have been neat to get to know them each just a bit better.

Still, the book felt appealing and accurate to me. I'd love to know what someone who did study ballet as a child thinks of its value.