STARRED REVIEW! "The inspirational life of ballerina Alicia Alonso is shared with young readers in this lovingly illustrated beginning biography. The illustrations excellently depict Alicia's dedication as well as the difficulties with her eyesight and will inspire readers to chase their dreams amid challenges and struggles."—School Library Journal starred review Alicia Alonso wouldn't let her vision impairment keep her from dancing. As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career. But her eyesight began to fail. When Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision, dancing was impossible, but she wouldn't give up her dream. She found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a prima ballerina. This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream.

A biography of Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso.

River is recovering from illness and can't dance at the powwow this year. Will she ever dance again? A heartwarming and hopeful contemporary Native American picture book for ages 4-8-year-olds about traditions, community, music, and healing, written and illustrated by Indigenous creators. It's powwow day, and River wants so badly to dance as she does every year. But she can't dance this year as she deals with a serious illness. In this modern and inspiring Native picture book that's perfect for beginning readers, follow River's journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of community. Additional information explains the history and functions of powwows, which are commonplace across the United States and Canada and are open to both Native Americans and non-Native visitors. Best-selling and award-winning author Traci Sorell is a member of the Cherokee Nation, and illustrator Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Just as Russian dancers defected from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, Cuban dancers are now fleeing Castro's regime in droves. Their unique style of ballet is galvanizing the world of dance. This beautifully illustrated book explores the history of Cuban ballet by focusing on the life and career of the indomitable Alicia Alonso. The author also spotlights many of the young dancers who are now part of the growing Cuban Diaspora and who are changing the face of ballet: Lorena Feijoo, Lorna Feijoo, Joan Boada, Taras Domitro, Jose Manuel Carreno, and Carlos Acosta to name but a few.

Profiles ballet dancers from the last century that made significant contributions to the various forms of ballet dancing, with information on each dancer's style, artistic background, associations with notable choreographers, partners, and composers, and their most memorable performances.

Elizabeth B. Schwall aligns culture and politics by focusing on an art form that became a darling of the Cuban revolution: dance. In this history of staged performance in ballet, modern dance, and folkloric dance, Schwall analyzes how and why dance artists interacted with republican and, later, revolutionary politics. Drawing on written and visual archives, including intriguing exchanges between dancers and bureaucrats, Schwall argues that Cuban dancers used their bodies and ephemeral, nonverbal choreography to support and critique political regimes and cultural biases. As esteemed artists, Cuban dancers exercised considerable power and influence. They often used their art to posit more radical notions of social justice than political leaders were able or willing to implement. After 1959, while generally promoting revolutionary projects like mass education and internationalist solidarity, they also took risks by challenging racial prejudice, gender norms, and censorship, all of which could affect dancers personally. On a broader level, Schwall shows that dance, too often overlooked in histories of Latin America and the Caribbean, provides fresh perspectives on what it means for people, and nations, to move through the world.

Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka are three sisters who live in Sweden. They have blonde hair and blue eyes and look very much alike. After the family moves to the country, the girls realize they need bicycles to ride to school. To earn money for bicycles, they decide to plant vegetables to sell at the market. They work hard choosing seeds, planting, weeding, and watering, and although at first they are shy at the noisy marketplace, soon they are selling too many vegetables to think about themselves! Originally published in the United States in 1968, Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Go to Market was one of a series of treasured books created by Swedish author-artist Maj Lindman (1886-1972). She also wrote and illustrated stories about three little Swedish boys, Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr. Today's young readers will find the warm, wholesome stories of these busy, independent children immensely satisfying.

2020 Florida Book Awards, Young Children's Literature category, Silver Award 2021 International Latino Book Awards Bronze medal in The Mariposa Book Awards Best First Book, Children & Youth category STARRED REVIEW! "This gentle family story lets readers know that shyness is nothing to worry about."—Kirkus Reviews starred review Ava's excited to say goodbye to el Año Viejo—but will her shyness keep her from joining in the celebration? Ava Gabriela is visiting her extended family in Colombia for the holidays. She's excited to take part in family traditions such as making bunuelos, but being around all her loud relatives in an unfamiliar place makes Ava shy and quiet. How will Ava find her voice before she misses out on all the New Year's fun?

Kevin can't get to sleep at night until he does many things. He straightens his chair and the books on his desk. He asks his mother questions he already knows the answers to. He checks under his bed for a light he knows isn't there, and then, a minute later, he checks again. Kevin knows these actions don't make sense; he wants to stop, but the worry thoughts keep coming. When his parents realize that Kevin has too many worries, they take him to talk to a therapist. She tells Kevin and his parents that Kevin has a condition called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and that, more importantly, he can be helped.

Carlos Acosta grew up in a shantytown in Fidel Castro's politically isolated Cuba. Like many boys, he'd skip school to play football or breakdance with his friends. His father's solution to his unruly behaviour was to send him to ballet school where he would be disciplined, trained and fed - for free. It was many years before Carlos came to accept a pursuit he saw as 'sissy'. Today he is one of the world's most stunning classical ballet dancers, admired internationally for his magnetic presence on stage. This is his story.