Leda Schubert

This is the true story of Raven Wilkinson, who as a young woman became a professional ballerina while dealing with many obstacles. Despite insults hurled against her from racist audience members to full-on KKK threats, she persevered as the first African-American woman in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (an American touring ballet troupe) and later became a member of the Dutch National Ballet and the New York City Opera.

This book was bittersweet and had me near tears at one point. Raven show more Wilkinson seems like a lovely person and it's such an unjust world that she had to face so many tribulations in her chosen career for no reason other than the color of her skin. And that it took still decades later before another hurdle could be passed, when an African-American professional dancer played the lead role in Swan Lake at last, noting that Raven Wilkinson was an inspiration and a mentor in her own career.

This title opens with a foreword by Misty Copeland, that same dancer who drew inspiration from Raven Wilkinson's life and career. Backmatter includes a note from Raven Wilkinson herself, a brief biographical sketch, a glossary of ballet terms, and a bibliography. The illustrations throughout are bold, striking, and eye-catching, with emotions clearly shown. show less

Author Leda Schubert and illustrator Gerard DuBois present the life story of celebrated mime Marcel Marceau in this informative and engaging picture-book biography, managing to capture some of the pathos of his early life, as well as the magic of his craft through the simple but expressive text and evocative artwork. Born in 1923 as Marcel Mangel, Marceau was a young man when the Nazis occupied France, joining the resistance and becoming involved in many daring activities, from leading show more groups of Jewish schoolchildren across the border to safety in Switzerland to hiding American parachutists who had landed behind enemy lines. His father, who like many of France's Jews did not survive the war, was killed in a concentration camp. After the war, Mangel took the name Marceau and began to study the art of mime, creating the now famous character of Bip, a tragic-comic character with sad eyes and a penchant for amusing adventures. This character, and Marceau's work as a performer, would eventually become world-famous, entertaining thousands of audiences during the course of his long career.

As someone who knew very little of mime in general or Marcel Marceau in particular - I had been familiar with the name, of course, and recognized the face of "Bip," when I saw him, but that was the extent of my familiarity with the subject - I went in to Monsieur Marceau with no set expectations. I came away immensely impressed, both with the subject of the book, and with its creators. I was particularly struck by the connections Marceau himself drew between his choice of profession, which involved silent communication, and his identity as a Jew, and the son of a victim of the Nazi Final Solution: "The people who came back from the camps were never able to talk about it," Marceau once said, "My name is Mangel. I am Jewish. Perhaps that, unconsciously, contributed towards my choice of silence." Obviously, there is so much more to Marceau than Bip, his "public face," and this excellent book communicates that wonderfully. I appreciated the fact that Schubert was able to communicate so much, factually and emotionally, without drowning her narrative with information. The artwork by Gerard DuBois brilliantly captures the emotion in Schubert's text, skillfully depicting the mixture of sadness and joy that seems to have characterized Marceau's life and art.

All in all, this is a wonderful biography for younger readers, one that manages to be both informative and moving - an afterword gives more details about Marceau - and a beautiful book, artistically speaking. Recommended to children who enjoy biography, or who are interested in mime, theater, and/or Marcel Marceau. show less

There are two new books out this year on Pete Seeger. One is for older children (Stand Up and Sing: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and The Path to Justice by Susanna Reich), and this one is for younger kids. Interestingly, both authors saw Seeger perform when they were young, and were very influenced by him.

Leda Schubert writes at the beginning of this book:

“Listen.
There was nobody like Pete Seeger.
Wherever he went, he got people singing.”

She tells a bit about his favorite songs, and about his show more social activism:

“Listen.
Pete participated his whole life.
He led marches to end wars;
He stood on peace lines in cold and snow, heat and rain.”

She explains how he traveled the country with his good friend and fellow singer and activist Woody Guthrie. He was called before The House Un-American Activities Committee of the United States Congress and questioned about his protests. She reports:

“Pete said, ‘I love my country very deeply,’
Offered to sing a song,
And stood by his First Amendment right,
The right of free speech.”

Seeger was then part of the singing group "The Weavers," and the government accusations cost them concert bookings and television appearances. But Seeger just kept on traveling, and kept on singing. And he didn’t just say things, Schubert writes, he did things. As the Chicago Tribune reported in his obituary:

"Seeger became a beacon to many artists on the emerging folk scene of the ‘60s, co-founding the Newport Folk Festival in 1959. 'We all owe our careers to him,” Joan Baez said. The Kingston Trio's version of Seeger's anti-war song 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone?' and Peter, Paul and Mary's take on 'If I Had a Hammer' were early ‘60s pop hits."

Schubert writes in her Author’s Note at the end of the book:

“Over the course of his ninety-four years, Pete Seeger sang so much, did so much, wrote so much, spoke so much, and influenced so many people that at times he seemed to be everywhere at once. He recorded more than fifty albums . . . and devoted much of his life and music to the fights for justice, peace, equality, and a cleaner environment. . . . . He believed in the power of community and he created communities everywhere he went.”

The New York Times wrote in his obituary:

“For Mr. Seeger, folk music and a sense of community were inseparable, and where he saw a community, he saw the possibility of political action.

In his hearty tenor, Mr. Seeger, a beanpole of a man who most often played 12-string guitar or five-string banjo, sang topical songs and children’s songs, humorous tunes and earnest anthems, always encouraging listeners to join in. His agenda paralleled the concerns of the American left: He sang for the labor movement in the 1940s and 1950s, for civil rights marches and anti-Vietnam War rallies in the 1960s, and for environmental and antiwar causes in the 1970s and beyond. “We Shall Overcome,” which Mr. Seeger adapted from old spirituals, became a civil rights anthem.”

The book concludes with a timeline, endnotes, selected biography, list of books for children, and perhaps most importantly, a list of recommended recordings.

The artwork by the prolific Puerto Rican American illustrator Raúl Colón employs his trademark style of watercolor washes, colored pencils, grainy paper, and an etching instrument to achieve an effect somewhere between intaglio and pointillism. The muted palette suggests a time in the past.

Evaluation: Both of the new books out on Seeger are lovely, and suggest that there are many different ways to be active on social issues. I hope parents will supplement the reading with a selection of Seeger’s songs. Children have always loved them, and of course the adults may have their own memories associated with his music. show less

I picked this up because I, too, am a Princess of Borscht. Ruthie is an engaging heroine who thinks she may have bitten off more than she could chew after she promises Grandma that she will make borscht and bring it to the hospital (where Grandma may starve to death on hospital food). Cue a few too many helpful neighbors and some delightful illustrations, and you have a recipe for an interesting afternoon. Plus a real recipe for borscht on the back cover.