{"product_id":"trailblazer-the-story-of-ballerina-raven-wilkinson-hardcover","title":"Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLeda Schubert\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eTheodore Taylor\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis beautiful picture book tells the little-known story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and an inspiration to Misty Copeland.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRaven perched on her crushed velvet seat, heard the tympani, and cried with delight even before the curtain lifted. From that moment on, her passion for dance only grew stronger.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNo black ballerina had ever danced with a major touring troupe before. Raven would be the first.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRaven Wilkinson was born on February 2, 1935, in New York City. From the time she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was dance. On Raven's ninth birthday, her uncle gifted her with ballet lessons, and she completely fell in love with dance. While she was a student at Columbia University, Raven auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was finally accepted on her third try, even after being told she couldn't dance with them because of her skin color. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen she started touring with her troupe in the United States in 1955, Raven encountered much racism in the South, but the applause, alongside the opportunity to dance, made all the hardship worth it. Several years later she would dance for royalty with the Dutch National Ballet and regularly performed with the New York City Opera until she was fifty. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis beautiful picture book tells the uplifting story of the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and how she became a huge inspiration for Misty Copeland. Theodore Taylor III's unique, heavy line style of illustration brings a deeper level of fluidity and life to the work, and Misty Copeland's beautifully written foreword will delight ballet and dance fans of all ages.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeda Schubert has taught at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of many books for children, including \u003ci\u003eThe Princess of Borscht\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBallet of the Elephants\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMonsieur Marceau\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eListen: How Pete Seeger Got America Singing\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Plainfield, Vermont, with her husband and two large dogs: Pogo (a very good boy) and Pippa (slightly insane). Find out more about Leda at ledaschubert.com. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTheodore Taylor III is an illustrator living in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife Sarah and son Theo. He works as a front-end web developer by day and illustrates children's books by night. He received the Texas Bluebonnet Award and the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award for his work in \u003ci\u003eWhen the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop\u003c\/i\u003e. He also recently illustrated three books for Shaquille O'Neal. His work is inspired by his love for music, comics, animation, video games, street art, and more. He is also a self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur. Find out more about Theodore at theodore3.com.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 40\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 11.1 x 8.7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 16, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuiz Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lower Grades, K-3\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.7\u003c\/div\u003e\n                \n                \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5\u003c\/div\u003e\n                ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51771838333216,"sku":"9781499805925","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/547db3c4c86ff5b01e3a14403bf67700.webp?v=1780395030","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/trailblazer-the-story-of-ballerina-raven-wilkinson-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}