BIOGRAPHIES
Cunxin, Li

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer

(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.

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