Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins (Who Did It First?)
by Michelle Meadows (Author) Ebony Glenn (Illustrator)
A lyrical picture book biography of Janet Collins, the first African American principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Janet Collins wanted to be a ballerina in the 1930s and 40s, a time when racial segregation was widespread in the United States. Janet pursued dance with a passion, despite being rejected from discriminatory dance schools. When she was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as a teenager on the condition that she paint her skin white for performances, Janet refused. She continued to go after her dreams, never compromising her values along the way. From her early childhood lessons to the height of her success as the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera, Brave Ballerina is the story of a remarkable pioneer as told by Michelle Meadows, with fantastic illustrations from Ebony Glenn.
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Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
PreS-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.--Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
Writing in gentle verse that calls to mind "This Is the House that Jack Built," Meadows introduces Janet Collins, a New Orleans-born ballerina who pursued dance in the 1930s and '40s. With her family's support, Collins perseveres despite being told to lighten her dark skin: "This is the girl/ with a broken heart./ But she bounced right back/ and made a new start." Glenn illustrates in warm yet muted digital art; dynamic spreads show Collins dancing in a red flamenco dress to the sounds of a jazz ensemble. In a final spread, Collins dances at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1951--becoming the first African-American prima ballerina to do so. Meadows offers readers an affectionate biographical story that emphasizes her subject's passion and determination. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
A Junior Library Guild Selection
"This is a wonderful and inspirational biography for aspiring young dancers and other athletes." —The Washington Post
"Writing in verse is no easy task, and Meadows's text almost never stumbles, keeping metronomic time with Ebony Glenn's illustrations of soaring, spinning Janet. Glenn's digital art is full of movement . . .An enchanting biography."—Shelf Awareness, starred review
JNF053140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Prejudice & Racism
JNF025210 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/20th Century
JNF007060 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Performing Arts
JNF039020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Performing Arts | Dance
Stories in rhyme
Ballerinas
Ballet dancers
Collins, Janet
African American dancers
