(3) K-3 Words by JaNay Brown-Wood. “Brown girl, / you were born to take that stage.” Wallace-McMillian's stunning photography, primarily of Black ballerinas, is paired with empowering poetry by Brown-Wood in this celebration of dancers of color in ballet, an art form that remains primarily white. The photographs include a nice mix of experienced dancers en pointe and those just starting out. The dancers appear to range in age from toddlers to tweens. Various skin tones are represented, and one dancer uses a wheelchair.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(3) Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud. Little Mae loves science, but she also loves dance. “So she decided…to study them both!” Even as she becomes a doctor and then an astronaut, she never stops dancing; on the space shuttle Endeavour, she “danced through space and floated among the stars.” Paired with bright, welcoming illustrations that showcase Jemison’s joy, this lyrical biography of the first Black woman in space emphasizes Jemison’s determination and courage as she pursues both her passions.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Salena Barnes. "Passing down history and knowledge from one generation to the next is a tradition deeply rooted in both the Black experience and ballet." Copeland shines a spotlight on twenty-seven Black ballerinas who have inspired her, mentored her, and paved the way for her professional ballet career. Accompanied by a full-page portrait of the dancer in motion (rendered in what looks like ink and watercolor), each one-page essay focuses on the realities of being Black in a "very white ballet world" while discussing the subject's career highlights, struggles, and legacy. Copeland's personal reflections give the collection an intimate perspective.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alea Marley. Cast in the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker, young Charlotte (the first Black Marie in the company's history) shares the holiday spirit with audiences for the entire season, then enjoys Christmas with her family: making Trinidadian pastelles, searching for the pickle ornament on the tree, and smashing a peppermint pig. Author Nebres, who danced Marie in 2019 when she was just eleven, writes a spare but sensory-rich narrative that emphasizes inclusion, representation, and the amount of work it took to realize her dream. Marley's inviting cartoon illustrations in soft pastel colors play with light and create a cozy holiday atmosphere.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gloria Félix. Dancer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) grew up in Cuba, where she attended the island's sole, poorly funded ballet school. In 1937 she moved to New York to study at the American Ballet Theatre and was well on her way to becoming a prima ballerina when she began to lose her eyesight. In a well-paced narrative, Viña emphasizes Alonso's resilience and determination--as she contends with a new country and language and later as she recovers from eye surgeries, reenters the dance world, learns to dance with impaired vision, and eventually returns to Cuba to teach. Félix's cartoon-style illustrations focus on movement and emotion. An author's note and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jessica Gibson. Foreword by Sylvia Townsend. In chipper first-person text ("As musical notes start to float, I rise to my toes"), the authors describe African American ballet dancer Sylvia Townsend's childhood. Although her parents couldn't afford lessons (and segregation meant that ballet school was "for white girls" only), Townsend turned to the town bookmobile to teach herself and others. The digital illustrations are somewhat generic but bright and cheerful. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Mark Siegel. This special edition of the graphic memoir about Cherson Siegel's youth as a School of American Ballet student effectively embodies ballet's paradox: every moment of seeming effortlessness on stage is the product of years of grueling work. Softened outlines and delicately hued watercolor washes depict young Siena's long-cherished dream and the ethereal-looking dancers; extended, well-paced panel sequences convey training's tedium and immense physical toll. A spacious redesigned layout heightens the emotional effect. Six new pages of photos and ephemera are appended.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006; November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. Instead of wearing heavy iron braces for her weak legs, the doctor lets young Lily Marks take dance lessons to strengthen them. Thus begins the ascent of the first Jewish prima ballerina assoluta, later known as Alicia Markova. Goddu tells the true story with elegant simplicity; an afterword offers more straightforward biography. Kawa's ornately detailed, stylized illustrations capture the wonder and magic of ballet.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) YA With Nancy Ohlin. In this blend of memoir, advice book, and journal, reality-TV teenage star Lukasiak (Dance Moms) opens up about life, dreams, and insecurities. Lukasiak's conversational narrative is interspersed with poems, short stories, photos, and quotes (from Oprah to Taylor Swift), showing that girls contain multitudes. However, these pieces interrupt chapters, creating an overall chaotic, jumbled effect.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodore III Taylor. Following a foreword by ballerina Misty Copeland, Schubert gracefully tells the story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American ballet dancer to tour with a major company. From 1955–62, Wilkinson danced for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo but faced prejudice whenever they traveled south. Heavy lines and shadows in the illustrations reinforce how injustice can weigh down even ethereal art such as ballet. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 4-6 Superstar Stories series. Each entertainer's superficially sketched biography is presented in three or four brief chapters punctuated with publicity photographs and sidebars with quotes from the subject. A page of basic background facts precedes a simple narrative covering early breaks in the field, successful milestones, and present-day stardom. "Think About It" questions are appended. There are four other fall 2017 titles in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Superstar Stories titles: Zendaya, Silentó, Jennifer Lawrence, and Pharrell Williams.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) K-3 Amalia Hernández (1917–2000) traveled throughout Mexico learning about regions' unique histories and traditions in order to incorporate them into dance; in 1952, she founded Mexico's most famous dance company, El Ballet Folklórico de México, which still performs today. Tonatiuh's illustration style, inspired by Mixtec art and with well-chosen photo-collage elements, is particularly resonant with a subject who celebrated Mexican arts and culture. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) 4-6 With Brandy Colbert. In this adaptation of her adult autobiography, Copeland chronicles her path to becoming a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre--the first-ever African American ballerina to achieve that distinction. Engaging prose frankly details obstacles to her hard-won success: poverty, family strife, body shame, injury, and, most significantly, racism. An inspiring, approachable memoir of an extraordinary dancer committed to making ballet accessible to all.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) 4-6 Edge Books: Hollywood Action Heroes series. These slim biographies focus on the Hollywood action heroes' upbringing and years of hard work as they rose to their eventual success in films such Avatar (Saldana) and Captain America (Evans). The many red-carpet photos and movie stills are oddly cropped and overlaid with loud graphics; quotes and "Fast Facts" supplement the serviceable texts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Edge Books: Hollywood Action Heroes titles: Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. This lyrical introduction follows ballet great Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) through her training; her roles, particularly her iconic Dying Swan; her growing fame; and her determination to make ballet accessible to everyone. Delicate mixed-media illustrations perfectly suit Anna's grace, capturing her expressiveness with abstracted swan imagery. An author's note provides more straightforward biographical information and highlights Pavlova's legacy as an artist of the people. Bib.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Christopher Myers. In an imagined dialogue, American Ballet Theatre soloist Copeland reassures a disheartened African American ballet student that she also had self-doubts: "darling child, don't you know / you're just where I started." Richly hued collages make the dancers on stage seem to fly. An author's note says that Copeland never saw herself in ballet books; this book encourages aspiring dancers of all colors.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) YA With Elaine DePrince. This inspirational memoir traces Michaela's journey from an orphanage in war-ravaged Sierra Leone through her adoption by an American couple to her rising ballet stardom (appearing in the documentary First Position; joining the Dutch National Ballet). Throughout, the daughter-and-mom writing team emphasizes how important optimism, love, and perseverance were to Michaela's success. Striking textual imagery heightens the immediacy of Michaela's experiences, whether tragic or triumphant.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Christian Robinson. This incomparable biography conveys dancer Josephine Baker's passion, exuberance, dignity, and eccentricity through words and pictures that nearly jump off the page. Powell doesn't shy away from the challenges (including racism) Baker faced but emphasizes that Baker never let them overwhelm her joy from performing. Robinson's highly stylized, boldly colored illustrations are at once sophisticated and inviting to young readers. Reading list.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(3) K-3 Candlewick Biographies series. Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Before Fred was famous, his sister Adele was "the dancer in the family." Orgill describes the team's childhood and early work in vaudeville and on Broadway, also touching on Fred's later achievements in films. Their dancing comes alive in focused prose and softly colored mixed-media art with period details. Recommended recordings, films, and a website are included in this "reformatted edition." Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu. Florence Mills was born an entertainer. This brightly illustrated, inspiring story follows "Baby Flo" from her days of singing in the streets of Washington, DC, to her on-stage debut at age seven. An author's note includes a brief biography of her years as an entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance and her early death from tuberculosis at age thirty-one.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King