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Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer
40 pp.
| Walker |
August, 2008 |
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-9777-3$16.95
(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.