Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
-
- 379,00 Kč
-
- 379,00 Kč
Publisher Description
Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealing illustrations make Ready to Fly perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings!
Ready to Fly is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeing Swan Lake on TV. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share at home or in the classroom.
Although there aren’t many ballet schools that will accept a girl like Sylvia in the 1950s, her local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find a book about ballet and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet.
Soon Sylvia learns how to fly—how to dance—and how to dare to dream.
Includes a foreword from Sylvia Townsend, a brief history of the bookmobile, an author’s note, and a further reading list.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Townsend, a black child in 1950s California, dreams of being a ballerina. Her family can't afford lessons, so she makes her way to the bookmobile, requests ballet books, and trains herself: "At home, I begin reading, building my own barre, learning the positions first, second, third." She begins teaching the neighborhood children what she learns. When her fourth grade teacher offers to pay for lessons, dance schools demur: "School three whispers, It just can't be,' letting the real reason slip ballet is for white girls." But her own students won't let her give up, and she finally finds a dance teacher who recognizes her talent. Townsend's determined spirit shines through the engaging first-person narration, and Gibson's cartoon illustrations capture endearing scenes, including an image of a little girl, wearing a tutu of twisted scarves, reading at a broom-and-chair barre. Information on bookmobiles, a note from Townsend, and an author's note clarifying the setting and details of Townsend's remarkable life conclude the volume. Ages 4 8.