FICTION

Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins

illus. by Ebony Glenn. 32p. bibliog. photos. websites. Holt. Jan. 2019. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250127730.
COPY ISBN
RedReviewStarPreS-Gr 2—Young dancers will find inspiration in the first picture book biography written about groundbreaking dancer Janet Collins. In tidy four-line stanzas, Meadows tells Collins's life story, describing her path to stardom as the first black prima ballerina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. Each page begins in a similar fashion, setting the scene and continuing in rhyming verse. ("This is the audience, lined up in rows, cheering her on as she danced on her toes.") Though the format is constrictive, there is not an awkward word or rhythm to be found. Collins's story is told masterfully, with additional background information in an author's note. Glenn (Mommy's Khimar) fills each page with the strength and beauty of dance, focusing on the graceful movement of Collins and her emotive expressions.
VERDICT This book radiates with the joy of dance. A first purchase for most collections.

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