(3) YA Li Cunxin shares his emotional journey from Chinese peasant to world-famous ballet dancer in this "young readers' edition" of an adult memoir. Such experiences as starting at a new school and working hard to achieve a goal will resonate with readers. The author illuminates his society's extreme poverty and repression but above all shares the freedom and exhilaration he gained through dance. Timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Spudvilas. Li Cunxin's memoir of his rise from peasant to world-renowned ballet dancer is well translated into picture book form. Illustrations, both traditional Chinese ink and watercolors and oil paintings, enhance the lyrical prose; absence or use of color carries meaning and mood. An appended note explains life under Mao Zedong, allowing the story itself to focus on the dancer's struggles and success.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett