FIREBIRD by Misty Copeland.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2014. 40p. ISBN 978-0399166150 hc. $17.99   Gr. K-3  E PIC

This is Misty’s own story told through her role as mentor to a young ballet dancer.  The text is very short and in verse. Readers in grades 2 and 3 will want to focus on the words, as capitalization and punctuation have not been added.  However the message is clear that “the space between you and me” is the gap between a youngster with a dream to dance and a grown up who has achieved that dream.  Misty Copeland bridged the gap by working extra hard to become the best of ballet dancers. She is known for her portrayal of “The Firebird” in the ballet of the same name, changing expectations of success for dark skinned ballerinas around the world.  The distinctively bold illustrations of Christopher Myers emphasize elongated limbs and positions of ballet dancers in all their beauty.

Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI