Beautiful Ballerina
“Beautiful ballerina, you are slender, straight-legged, high-arched, symmetrical, with strong this-little-piggie toes. You are poised, graceful, flexible, elegant. Your beauty invites bravissimos. Beautiful ballerina, you are the dance.” Marilyn Nelson’s seamless poetry celebrates many facets of African American dancers, from physical discipline and emotional strength to artistic interpretation and cultural heritage. Her vivid language is enhanced by Susan Kuklin’s photographs of four female students of the Dance Theater of Harlem, spanning an age range from young childhood to older adolescence. Shown in a variety of poses, their bodies stand out boldly against solid-color backgrounds. ©2009 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Susan Kuklin
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-11
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Formats:
Picture book
Poetry
Subjects:
Affirmation
African Americans
Dance and Dancers
Girls and Women
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Scholastic Press
Publish Year: 2009
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780545089203
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 792 Nelson