A Review
Text (C) Michelle Meadows, Art (C) Ebony Glenn, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2019
Brave Ballerina brings to life the story of Janet Collins, a woman lesser known in African American history, a woman who refused to hide her identity, a woman who graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera as the first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House, despite the closed doors that stood before her.
As a young girl, she and her family were determined not to allow the obstacles of segregation to squelch her love for dance. Her mother sewed costumes to pay for her lessons. Her family and community supported her, attending her recitals. Professionals--both white and black--recognized her talent and propelled her forward.
As a young girl, she and her family were determined not to allow the obstacles of segregation to squelch her love for dance. Her mother sewed costumes to pay for her lessons. Her family and community supported her, attending her recitals. Professionals--both white and black--recognized her talent and propelled her forward.
This is the girl
with a broken heart.
But she bounced right back
and made a new start.
Brave Ballerina is a beautifully told picture book biography published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. It is lyrically written by Michelle Meadows and lushly illustrated by Ebony Glenn, one of my favorite up-and-coming illustrators. (Read my interview with Ebony HERE.)
Children from all walks of life will love this book. They will love the simple yet poignant language of the rhyming text. They will love the illustrations with their graceful lines that will remind them of ballet dancers. And they will love the sepia tones that hint of the old photographs from the 1930s and 40s, the book's setting. But the most important reason children should read this book is because Janet Collins was a brave ballerina who had a get-back-up-again determination that will encourage them to do the same.
Children from all walks of life will love this book. They will love the simple yet poignant language of the rhyming text. They will love the illustrations with their graceful lines that will remind them of ballet dancers. And they will love the sepia tones that hint of the old photographs from the 1930s and 40s, the book's setting. But the most important reason children should read this book is because Janet Collins was a brave ballerina who had a get-back-up-again determination that will encourage them to do the same.
Click on the book cover, and purchase your copy today!
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2019
Illustrations used by permission of the publisher.
