Brown Girls Do Ballet: Celebrating Diverse Girls Taking Center Stage

Published by: Hatchette Book Group, 2024

Pages: 40 pp:  

Ages:  4- 8

ISBN:  978-0762487592

This is a wonderful book celebrating diversity for girls who want to dance, particularly ballet.  The book is mainly full-color, full-page photographs of young girls of color and culture in ballet or dance poses.  I like that there is no judgement regarding cultures, body size, or disabilities. Just gorgeous photos of young girls doing ballet.  This is a great book for a child that does not read or just wants to look at the pictures. The words are few, but powerful, written in free verse style.  

TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian founded Brown Girls Do Ballet, an organization that encourages participation in ballet for underrepresented populations. She arranges ballet performances and helps with financial aid for young girls who want to continue ballet training.  She lives in Dallas, Texas with her family.

Janay Brown-Wood is a poet, educator, and award-winning children’s author.  She is also a former early childhood educator. She lives in California.

Reviewed by Audrey Campbell, MED

Reading Specialist and Library Media Center Director

Valley Adventist Schools, Rogers Campus

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