The Arts

CUNXIN, Li. Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer. illus. by Anne Spudvilas. unpaged. CIP. Walker. 2008. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8027-9777-3; RTE $17.85. ISBN 978-0-8027-9778-0. LC 2007037150.

Gr 3-5–The author of Mao’s Last Dancer (Berkley, 2005) tells of his family’s hardscrabble existence in Maoist China, his life at the Beijing Dance Academy, and his eventual rise to stardom and freedom in this poignantly illustrated, picture-book memoir. B

HELSBY, Genevieve. Those Amazing Musical Instruments! 176p. w/CD-ROM. diags. illus. photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. 2007. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-4022-0825-6. LC 2007013821.

Gr 4-9–Helsby introduces the instruments commonly found in an orchestra, outlining the attributes of each musical family and its members, describing playing styles and venues, and presenting noteworthy historical tidbits. Punctuated with numerous full-color photos, this easy-to-browse book comes with a CD-ROM containing musical samples and additional info. B

MARX, Trish. Steel Drumming at the Apollo: The Road to Super Top Dog. photos. by Ellen B. Senisi. 56p. w/CD. CIP. Lee & Low. 2007. RTE $22. ISBN 978-1-60060-124-8. LC 2007008947.

Gr 4-7–Glossy color photos and a text sprinkled with personal observations relate the exciting and inspiring journey of the Hamilton Hill Steel Drum Band, seven talented young men who travel from Schenectady, NY, to compete at Amateur Night at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater. Packed with teen appeal and a musical CD sampling. B

MASIELLO, Ralph. Ralph Masiello’s Ancient Egypt Drawing Book. illus. by author. unpaged. further reading. Web sites. CIP. Charlesbridge. 2008. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-57091-533-8; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-57091-534-5. LC 2007027023.

Gr 3-6–Step-by-step instructions for drawing Osiris, Anubis, Isis, and other gods as well as symbols and structures are accompanied by facts and full-color, finished products. Share this with teachers planning ancient civilization units and budding Egyptologists and artists. B

NATHAN, Amy. Meet the Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway, and Beyond. 256p. photos. glossary. index. Holt. 2008. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-8071-1. LC number unavailable.

Gr 5-9–Ballet, Broadway, modern dance, and jazz—dancers of all styles discuss their childhood dreams and the hard work it took to achieve them in this fascinating collection of mini-biographies. Students who are interested in dance as a career, as well as those who simply enjoy watching, will learn much from reading about the different paths each of these artists took. Photos of the dancers as children and as adults appearing on stage, along with sidebars of advice and anecdotes, enliven the text. B

RACZKA, Bob. The Art of Freedom: How Artists See America. 32p. photos. reprods. appendix. CIP. Millbrook. 2008. PLB $25.26. ISBN 978-0-8225-7508-5. LC 2007023831.

Gr 3-5–Paintings, photographs, and sculpture are used to illustrate broad ideas about American landscape, history, and values in this thoughtful study. With brief information about each work of art included in an appendix, readers are free to take each work at face value and to appreciate the many styles and means of expression. Ideas are juxtaposed (“America is natural wonders,” “America is man-made marvels”) to indicate the ways in which the United States is a nation of contrast and variety. B

RENSHAW, Amanda. The Art Book for Children: Book Two. 80p. photos. reprods. Phaidon. 2007. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-0-7148-4706-1. LC number unavailable.

Gr 4-7–Duplicating the eye-catching appeal of The Art Book for Children: Book One (Phaidon, 2005), Renshaw introduces art masterpieces of various styles from a range of periods with crisp, full-color reproductions, conversational discussion, and questions to prod thoughtful observations and further investigations. B

RUBIN, Susan Goldman. Delicious: The Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud. 108p. reprods. bibliog. index. CIP. Chronicle. 2007. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-8118-5168-8. LC 2006031168.

Gr 5-9–Printed on deeply hued pages in warm earth tones, sporting crisp reproductions of kid-friendly art inspired by simple pleasures and everyday objects, and infused with the artist’s own words, this inspiring biography follows Thiebaud from an idyllic, early 20th-century childhood in the American West to his contemporary California studio. B

Learn Magic with Lyn. DVD. approx. 53 min. Magic of Lyn (magicoflyn.com). 2007. $14.99.

Gr 2-6–Magician Lyn Dillies presents and explains simple magic tricks, sometimes assisted by a small group of preteens. She provides a list of the ordinary household items needed and the preparations required to perform the illusions. Among them are “Newspaper Ball” (creating a bounding toy); “Ice Water” (turning water into ice); and “Tricky Lollipop Trick” (changing the candy’s color). D

Jazz. cassette or CD. 43:02 min. with hardcover book. Live Oak Media (liveoakmedia.com). 2007. cassette, ISBN 978-1-43010-019-5: $25.95; CD, ISBN 978-1-43010-022-5: $28.95.

Gr 4-9–Walter Dean Myers’s fabulous book (Holiday House, 2006) opens with an extensive introduction to the history of jazz, and then explodes into Christopher Myers’s lively acrylic-and-black-ink paintings of musicians on vividly colored pages. The poetry and art come alive with the beat and sass of jazz, as different styles and performers are showcased. James “D-Train” Williams and Vaneese Thomas give voice to the text with a celebration of music, poetry, and song. Original music, composed for each poem, is performed by a jazz ensemble. Winner of the 2008 Odyssey Award for excellence in children’s audiobook production. A

A Dancer’s Journal: Learning to Perform the Dances of Martha Graham. artsedge.kennedy-center.org/marthagraham/index.htm. The Kennedy Center. (Accessed 8/04/08).

Gr 5 Up–Dance aficionados can follow Jordy Kandinsky as she becomes the newest member of the Martha Graham Dance Company. Her journals describe four of the dances she must learn, including Errand into the Maze and Appalachian Spring, and contain programs, photos, music, and video clips. Requires Flash 7. W