4.59 STARS from 87 GoodReaders
SWAN is a lovely book about the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova. The artwork by Julie Morstad is gorgeous; so touching and sweet. And Laurel Syder's verse makes for a very good read-aloud, as well as a good introduction to the Pavlova's story.
Born in Czarist Russia, Pavlova was the daughter of a laundress and miraculously she managed to rise to become a prima ballerina. Pavlova was a woman who transformed ballet, and who brought this beautiful art to the masses, and yet her story is not an entirely happy one.
Born in Czarist Russia, Pavlova was the daughter of a laundress and miraculously she managed to rise to become a prima ballerina. Pavlova was a woman who transformed ballet, and who brought this beautiful art to the masses, and yet her story is not an entirely happy one.
SWAN is a book that I would share with girls .AND. boys, and it's a book I suggest you approach bass-ackwards. By which I mean that I think everyone will get more out of the book if they start with the Author's Note at the end.
That brief note sums up aspects of Pavlova's life that readers are going to recognize in the verse and images... and if they are like me and mine they are going to enjoy the book more if approached in this order.
Snyder, for example, tells us how Pavlova faced rejection because her body was slim at a time when Russian ballerina's were strong and muscular. She also had weak feet and struggled all her life to persevere against the pain.
**This would be a perfect time to introduce Misty Copeland, another prima ballerina from today's headlines. Misty faced a similar struggle for acceptance, and ironically because she was athletic and in some ways the the physical opposite of ethereal standard of beauty that Pavlova made popular.
**You could also use this book as a lead in to a discussion about how sometimes we need to ignore 'the experts' and do what we love. As well as a discussion of the definition of beauty and how it changes over time.
I really think this author's note is worth reading.
WHAT I REALLY THINK: This is a beautiful book that is a good read-aloud. The story follows the circle of Pavlova's life and so ends sadly with her death. I LOVE being able to talk about Pavlova's mission to spread a love of ballet to all people, and her heroism in ignoring 'the experts' as well as the pain which others might have let stop them from performing.
A good book to share and to add to classroom shelves.
Pam~
SWAN, The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova
ISBN: 1452118906
by Laurel Snyder
Julie Morstad (illustrator)
Reading Information:
Page Count: 52
no AR reading information currently available
Lexile: AD380L
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