barbie16's review against another edition
3.0
This is an important story of an African American girl dreaming of becoming a dancer. It shows that it doesn't matter what your background is, if you have a dream you should go for it and do the best you can.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
A little girl has hopes and dreams to become a star ballerina, but the time is the 1950s when segregation is in place. But with her mom's help, she chips away at her dream and makes little parts of it come true.
Great beginning historical fiction for young readers.
Great beginning historical fiction for young readers.
heisereads's review against another edition
5.0
A touching book about dreams and hope, and one little girl's discovery of both when her mother takes her to see Janet Collins, the first African American prima ballerina to dance at the Met in NYC. This was just a lovely story that engaged me from the start, written in beautiful, hopeful prose.
thesapphiclibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I used this to teach prose and poetry to a fourth grade class and I think it worked well. The mix of prose and lyrical poetry will get them thinking about the difference. There are so many uses with this book as well such as teaching about black history or women’s history.
cahamsher's review against another edition
5.0
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: K-5
This book has a beautiful theme of hope and dreams. My favorite quote was "Hope can pick your dream up... off the floor of your heart when you think it can't happen, no how, no way, though unlike wishing Mama says hoping is hard work" (p. 6). This book shows how one person can inspire many to continue to dream and hope, as Janet Collins did. Although a fictional story, many people can relate to the story and also learn to recognize the importance of what Janet Collins accomplished by becoming the first African American prima ballerina.
Grade: K-5
This book has a beautiful theme of hope and dreams. My favorite quote was "Hope can pick your dream up... off the floor of your heart when you think it can't happen, no how, no way, though unlike wishing Mama says hoping is hard work" (p. 6). This book shows how one person can inspire many to continue to dream and hope, as Janet Collins did. Although a fictional story, many people can relate to the story and also learn to recognize the importance of what Janet Collins accomplished by becoming the first African American prima ballerina.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
3.0
A young girl dreams of being a ballerina then sees her dream come true in the debut of Janet Collins.
A lovely story with delicate illustrations.
A lovely story with delicate illustrations.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for dance stories, and the soft, warm pictures are a great vehicle for the story of a girl's dreams of dancing. The colors brighten when the girl dances, and when she's filled with hope after seeing Janet Collins dance.
ajacks's review against another edition
4.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org
valentineslibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I used this to teach prose and poetry to a fourth grade class and I think it worked well. The mix of prose and lyrical poetry will get them thinking about the difference. There are so many uses with this book as well such as teaching about black history or women’s history.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
This story is set in the 50s and the main character is a girl and her mother who works backstage for the ballet. The girl dreams of being a ballerina, but at this time, she isn’t allowed to because of her skin. Yet, she yearns and dreams of being on stage. She has a natural gift and the teachers notice her backstage doing the dance and lets her in the back of the class. She has good form.
Then, on November 13, 1951 Janet Collins performs as the lead in the Metropolitan Opera and this is historically accurate. It gives the girl hope and a fierce dream that she too can be a star.
The poetry is beautiful and it’s told as a lullaby. The colors are beautiful and the book hangs on hope. Anyone with a dream will appreciate this story.
Then, on November 13, 1951 Janet Collins performs as the lead in the Metropolitan Opera and this is historically accurate. It gives the girl hope and a fierce dream that she too can be a star.
The poetry is beautiful and it’s told as a lullaby. The colors are beautiful and the book hangs on hope. Anyone with a dream will appreciate this story.