Overview

No two dances were the same. Each one was beautiful because it was different-just like how Sydney's body was also beautiful because it was different. Sydney Mesher was born with ten toes and five fingers. But it was her toes that her mom noticed first. ""I can tell she's going to be a dancer,"" she said. And it turned out Mom was right-after years of hard work, Sydney eventually danced her way onto the famous stage of Radio City Music Hall, becoming the first Rockette with a visible disability. This warm and inviting picture book, cowritten with Catherine Laudone and brightly illustrated by Natelle Quek, takes young readers along on Sydney's journey-through the joyous ups as well as the crushing downs-and tells the story of how through it all, she kept dancing.

Full Product Details

9781250842671

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Reviews

"Praise for She Kept Dancing: ""Aspiring dancers will especially enjoy [Sydney's] journey, and readers with limb differences will find reassurance that their bodies, too, are 'worth celebrating.' ... Affirming and uplifting."" --Kirkus Reviews"

"Praise for She Kept Dancing: ""Shines a spotlight on Sydney's empowering message of 'celebrating different body types.' ... Quek's effervescent digital illustrations are full of motion and emotion. Photographs and a 'Note from Sydney' round out this inspiring introduction to an athlete gracefully kicking down disability barriers and misconceptions."" --Booklist ""Aspiring dancers will especially enjoy [Sydney's] journey, and readers with limb differences will find reassurance that their bodies, too, are 'worth celebrating.' ... Affirming and uplifting."" --Kirkus Reviews ""Written with Laudone, Mesher's personal tale centers persistence in following a dream alongside a message of 'celebrating different body types using a language everyone could understand: dance.' ... The honest, sensitive voice doesn't shy away from representing the cruel words that Mesher endured ('Others called her a monster'), while also capturing the joy of 'turning, swaying, and leaping.' Depicting characters with a variety of skin tones, Quek's figure-focused cartoon art enlivens the pages with energetic depictions of movement."" --Publishers Weekly"

Praise for She Kept Dancing: ""Shines a spotlight on Sydney's empowering message of 'celebrating different body types.' ... Quek's effervescent digital illustrations are full of motion and emotion. Photographs and a 'Note from Sydney' round out this inspiring introduction to an athlete gracefully kicking down disability barriers and misconceptions."" --Booklist ""Aspiring dancers will especially enjoy [Sydney's] journey, and readers with limb differences will find reassurance that their bodies, too, are 'worth celebrating.' ... Affirming and uplifting."" --Kirkus Reviews ""Written with Laudone, Mesher's personal tale centers persistence in following a dream alongside a message of 'celebrating different body types using a language everyone could understand: dance.' ... The honest, sensitive voice doesn't shy away from representing the cruel words that Mesher endured ('Others called her a monster'), while also capturing the joy of 'turning, swaying, and leaping.' Depicting characters with a variety of skin tones, Quek's figure-focused cartoon art enlivens the pages with energetic depictions of movement."" --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Sydney Mesher, originally from Portland, Oregon, is a New York-based dancer and model. In 2019, she made her debut as a Radio City Rockette. Her career is driven by her hopes to bring a new image to the dance industry by highlighting different body types and celebrating individuality. sydneymesher.com A full time writer and editor, Catherine Laudone is dedicated to creating and shaping stories that will have a lasting, positive impact on young readers' lives. catherinelaudone.com Natelle Quek is a Malaysian-born children's book illustrator who grew up in New Zealand, and now calls the UK home. Natelle lives in leafy, historic Kent with her husband, a grumpy cat, and a loud-snoring dog. natellequek.com

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