Beautiful Ballerina

Author: Marilyn Nelson illustrator: Susan Kuklin
Title: Beautiful Ballerina
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2009
Ages: 4-8
ISBN: 9780545089203

Written by Newberry Honor winner Marilyn Nelson, Beautiful Ballerina is a visual and lyrical celebration of ballerinas. Every page of Nelson’s flowing poetry is accompanied by bright, colorful photographs of young ballerinas from the Dance Theater of Harlem’s school. Tiny ballerinas stretch, point their toes, and mimic the older ballerinas as they fly through the air in grand jetes or balance en point. Every step captured by the camera was professionally choreographed by Endalyn Taylor, the Director of Dance Theater of Harlem. Words and poses are equally inspiring for a variety of readers, from young dancers to adult aficionados.

ballet goes graphic

Title: to dance: a ballerina’s graphic novel
Author: Siena Cherson Siegel, Illustrator: Mark Siegel
Ages:8-12
Publisher: Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2006
ISBN: 978-0689867477

The world of a young ballerina springs to life on the pages of this colorful, gripping tale. Each page details the daily routines, thoughts, and dreams of a dancer as she moves to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet.

A fantastic read for anyone who loves ballet and wonders what the life of a dancer is like, the graphic novel format makes the story all the more real. George Balanchine, partnering class, pointe shoes, schoolwork, and the hum of New York are only part of the picture. In the end, the love of dance is what shines through.

Drumbeat in Our Feet

Author: Patricia Keeler
Title: Drumbeat in Our Feet
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2006
Ages: 4-8
ISBN: 978-1584302643

Rich with descriptions of traditional African dance, costumes, body painting and spirituality, it is both visually appealing and extremely informative. This book is recommended reading for anyone with interest in African dance, music and spirituality as well and dance teachers and school teachers.
Learn about how dance traditions are passed down, the origins of different types of dances, types of musical instruments and more.

Meet the Dancers

Title: Meet the Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway and Beyond
Author: Amy Nathan
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co., 2008
ISBN: 978-0805080711

Meet the Dancers is inspirational reading for any young aspiring dancer. Sixteen intimate and informative profiles of working dancers are illustrated with engaging photographs, and personal trivia and tidbits.

The book was specifically created for the 9-12 crowd, but is a fun read for anyone interested in what the life of a professional dancer is like.

Tap-Dance Fever

Title: Tap-Dance Fever
Author: Pat Brisson, Illustrator: Nancy Cote
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2005
ISBN: 978-1590782903
Annabelle Applegate has a one-track, tap-dancing mind, with feet that just won’t stop. Her exuberant tapping starts to cause problems at home, at school, and all around town. The townsfolk decide to put a stop to her dancing, but everything they try fails. However, Annabelle saves the day when her tap dancing mesmerizes a group of rattlesnakes, and the whole group becomes town celebrities, drawing audiences from all over. Tap-Dance Fever is a loveable, comic tale about the strength of desire and the power of dance.

A Dictionary of Dance

Title: A Dictionary of Dance
Author: Liz Murray
Ages: 9-12
Publisher: Blue Apple Books, 2007
ISBN: 978-1593546137

Learning to dance means learning an entire new language, and this book covers the dance ABC’s, from arabesque to zones. Colorful, expressive line drawings add a dynamic, playful quality that makes learning fun.

The Human Alphabet with Pilobolus

 

Title: The Human Alphabet
Author: Pilobolus, John Kane, photographer
Ages:4 -8
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2005
ISBN: 978-1596430662

As a dance company, Pilobolus is cutting-edge and thrilling to behold. Part dance, part acrobatics, the performances often showcase groups of dancers working together to create sculptures and shapes with their bodies. The Human Alphabet is a celebration of this unique technique and will inspire any young dance enthusiast to learn their A,B,Cs with style. />

Building On Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi

Title: Building On Nature
Author: Rachel Rodriguez
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, 2009
ISBN: 978-0805087451

Building On Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi begins where he grew up in Catelonia, Spain. A sickly child, Gaudi spent much of his time observing the wonderful forms and colors of nature, the jagged mountain peaks, silvery olive leaves, birds and sparkling sea were his companions until grew stronger and was able to play with other children.
He later went to Barcelona to become an architect, where he studied important monuments, read books at the library and learned from other architects before he began to design. His projects echoed the things that inspired him as a child; bright colors, floral motifs, birds, twining vines all dazzled anyone who passed by. Over time, his creations became more elaborately detailed, with whimsical shapes covered in stunning mosaic work, every part functional yet wonderfully fanciful and surreal. From dragon’s head door knockers to walls that undulated like waves, his imagination lead him to build architecture that was very unusual in his time; part poetry, part fantasy, pure art.
Swirling, vividly colored illustrations by Julie Paschkis mimic the design elements of Gaudi’s buildings. The story is an informative, simple and elegant tribute to one of the most artistically minded architects of all time.

June and August

Title: June and August
Author: Vivian Walsh
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Abrams Books For Young Readers, 2009
ISBN: 978-0810984103

June and August meet one night by starlight and find they have stargazing as a common interest. The new friends plan to meet the next day, but fail to recognize each other in the daylight, until June begins to complain and August recognizes her voice. They realize that not only do they look completely different in the light, they are quite different animals with different ideas of how to have fun. This leads to sharing ideas and teaching one another new games, while helping each other along the way. The story comes full circle as they again gaze at stars from the mountaintop.

Written by Vivian Walsh and illustrated by Adam McCauley, June and August sweetly touches on a core truth of friendship: while there are parts of us that are the same, there are also areas where we differ from one another, which is shown as June cleverly points out, “Our shadows begin and end in the same way. It’s mostly in the middle that we’re different.” It is these differences that offer opportunities for learning and growth, if we allow them to.

But Who Will Bell the Cats?

Title: But Who WIll Bell The Cats?
Author: Cynthia von Buhler
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, 2009
ISBN: 978-0618997183

But Who Will Bell The Cats, a highly creative adaptation of one of Aesop’s fables, written and illustrated by Cynthia von Buehler, is certain to entertain both children and adults as they follow the plight of mouse and his close friend, brown bat, while they try multiple desperate schemes to improve their lives by putting bells on the eight spoiled cats who live upstairs.

Each page offers rich visual detail of the contrast between the life of mouse and those of the cats. With its completely unique format, the book chronicles the warm, pampered luxury of the cats on the top portion of every page, and the dark, cold and dreary life of mouse on the bottom.

Cynthia von Buhler created and photographed every detail from each scene of the book, with the end result being visually stunning tiny stage sets that are worlds unto themselves. A castle full of marble mantles, mouse-sized chairs, and a golden claw foot bath filled with bubbles are just a few key pieces of this highly elaborate visual feast. The story itself is witty and comical, well worth the read to find out who will bell the cats, or if indeed the bell tolls at all.

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