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Searching... Monmouth Public Library | BARYSHNIKOV | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
I love my grandma.really, I do. But she always embarrasses me.See what I mean?Whenever anyone asks her why she does such crazy things, she just says:Because...I think Grandma has a secret.But what could it be?
Author Notes
Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1948, Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the twentieth-century's most exciting and popular dancers. After initial training at the Riga Choreography School, Baryshnikov began his career in Leningrad with the famed Kirov Ballet. While hile on tour in Canada in 1974, he defected and immediately began dancing for the National Ballet of Canada and then the American Ballet Theatre in the United States. His amazing talent, matchless technique, and dynamic style soon made him an international star, rivaling his compatriot Rudolph Nureyev.
Much in demand, Baryshnikov has worked with a number of choreographers, including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Frederick Ashton, and modern choreographer Twyla Tharp whose Push Comes to Shove (1976) has become a kind of signature piece for the dancer. A number of roles have been created especially for Barushnikov, including Frederick Ashton's last important work, Rhapsody (1980).
In 1980 Baryshnikov became artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre, but he left the company in 1989 to pursue other opportunities, including experimenting in modern dance with Mark Morris, one of America's most important young choreographers. In addition to his work in ballet and modern dance, Baryshnikov has also appeared in several films, including The Turning Point (1977), White Knights (1985), and Dancers (1987). In recent years Baryshnikov has focused more on modern dance than on ballet.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Baryshnikov dances onto the stage of celebrity authors with a playful book about being true to oneself regardless of how others react. A boy recounts how his grandmother always embarrasses him, beginning with Monday when she leaps over a neighbor's head. As the week progresses, he quickly overcomes his discomfort and by Sunday has learned the reason behind her eccentric behavior. Fact and fantasy intermingle freely as the child describes his neighborhood, and everyone from the crossing guard to an alley cat responds to Grandma's antics by asking, "Why?" She brushes off their questions with a breezy "because" until she finally explains as she flies off into the sky, "Because-I-am-a-dancer!" The book's dialogue appears to be handwritten and is incorporated into the illustrations, creating a bold transition from the typeface of the narration. Light, playful characters float across the pages, their weightlessness and energy accentuated by broad expanses of white space. The strong artwork carries the spare, understated text, as the boy makes a surprisingly quick transition from embarrassment to awe and obvious pride. Fans of Baryshnikov and libraries looking for new titles about self-expression will wish to buy this book; others may consider it a supplemental purchase.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The unnamed narrator of Baryshnikov's buoyant foray into picture books assures his audience, "I love my grandma, really, but she just always embarrasses me." She leaps over neighbors, imitates the dog asleep with its paws in the air, and pretends to skate like the narrator's friend Maria--without having skates on. "See what I mean?" he asks plaintively. Grandma's one-word answer to questions about her behavior is always "because...," until the final spread, where she completes the thought: "Because... I-am-a-dancer!" Though the boy begins by rather glumly recounting a week in his life with Grandma, the illustrations eventually betray him, as he tries a jete himself, smiling at her encounter with some break dancers, and finally, a whole-hearted embrace of her sashaying, cartwheeling antics that sends them both flying above the rooftops of their urban neighborhood. Baryshnikov's casual text is perfectly paired with Radunsky's customary off-kilter images. Thickset Grandma, with her ample bosom and large bottom, defies the stereotype of a conventional dancer's physique. (She also defies gravity, as even arching backwards, her straw boater remains firmly stuck to her wiry hair.) The white backgrounds put the focus on the dancers, making them appear as if suspended in air. Grandma's sublime expressions and her pleasure at using her body to convey her happiness is infectious. Roll up the rug before you read this book aloud--it will get everyone up and dancing. Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A boy puzzles over his grandmother, whom he adores but who embarrasses him daily: she leapfrogs on Monday, flops like a dog on Tuesday, etc. ""Because..."" is her only reason until she finally divulges ""I-am-a-dancer!"" The text of this paean to creative movement is lyrical but meanders. Radunsky's gauzy illustrations display the spirited characters in motion. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A little red-headed boy is embarrassed by his grandma every day of the week. She leapfrogs, rolls over like a dog, slides, cartwheels, swings, gallops and finally flies through the air. Why? Because, as she exuberantly proclaims, "I-am-a-dancer!" Baryshnikov's narrator is a keen observer of his grandmother's behavior and the reactions of their neighbors. Readers realize that he truly loves her and admires her unabashed embrace of movement. Radunsky's grandma is zaftig but graceful and stylish; her boater hat remains rakishly in place. Conversations between grandma and the friendly neighbors of their street, including a variety of dogs and cats, are displayed in a handwritten font complementing the playful mood of the story from the curtained title page to the joyful finale. A promising debut as a picture-book author for the famous star of ballet and dance. Radunsky's trademark offbeat artistry makes him a perfect partner in this charming pas de deux. (Picture book. 4- 7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
With performance credits that range from classical ballet to Sex in the City, Baryshnikov returns to The Nutcracker end of the spectrum with this children's book, cowritten and illustrated by seasoned picture-book-creator Radunsky. A child narrator explains how, on each day of the week, his grandmother's spry antics elicit questions from amazed observers (Why did you do that? ). The jubilant, concluding answer (Because . . . I am a dancer! ) inspires the whole community to leap skyward and boogie alongside graceful Grandma, whose stout form challenges stereotypes about willowy ballerinas and stodgy oldsters--just as the aging yet active Baryshnikov has stretched boundaries in his own postballet career. The slight story may not sustain repeated readings, but young readers will respond to its worthwhile, inclusive message about joy in physical movement, delivered through words, buoyant pictures, and an inspiring jacket-flap statement: It makes no difference whether you are old or young, tall or short, skinny or plump.. . . Reveal your special talent to the world. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2007 Booklist