Reviews

Firebird by Christopher Myers, Misty Copeland

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swaggy_maggie44's review against another edition

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5.0

This was a lyrical portrayal of an inspirational figure that would be great for young girls to read.

beths0103's review against another edition

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5.0

with those first few lines of Firebird by Misty Copeland, the tears were already streaming down my face. I know I'm a crier by nature so perhaps the fact that I was tearing up by page one doesn't hold much weight, but I generally don't cry at the beginning of a book. That was an unexpected turn of events, I must say.

So what is it that affected me so deeply? It wasn't just the words, but seeing them paired with Christopher Myers' emotional, sweeping illustrations, in addition to seeing the symbolism of the sparse text that truly moved me.

Firebird is the story of a young girl of color who aspires to be a ballerina someday, but sees only the obstacles before her. You get the sense that Copeland is writing this story not only to all the African American girls who dream of being dancers, but also looking back at herself when she first started out. It is a book that is sure to win awards -- most likely a Coretta Scott King. But will the Caldecott committee give it some love as well? I think it certainly deserves it. Especially given how emotionally stirring the artwork is when paired with the text.

Read my entire review on my blog.

blawless's review against another edition

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5.0

Oh my goodness, beautiful illustrations from Christopher Myers and an incredible lesson in perseverance. Applicable to all kids who have a dream but who are afraid to follow it. Definitely a beginning of the year read for our virtue of Perseverance.

lrouss89's review against another edition

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4.0

Inspiring and uplifting with gorgeous illustrations.

allmadhere106's review against another edition

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4.0

Misty Copeland encourages a young dancer to never give up and approach greatness. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is just poetry. I particularly liked the small excerpt at the end from Copeland that tells of the ones who inspired her in the beginning. Full of heart.

For: fans of dance; readers wanting a book encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Possible red flags: feelings of despair and inadequacy.

crystal_reading's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a powerful book with luscious illustrations. Misty explains that she did not see many ballerinas that looked like her when she was growing up. She wrote this book in part to provide inspiration for girls like her so they could envision themselves dancing ballet. I loved the text and the illustrations.