An unevenly illustrated but often lovely reminder of the wonders of hard work and believing in oneself.
Gorgeous watercolor illustrations of dancers glide across the pages of Once Upon a Dance’s guide to a healthy and positive dance career.
Terrel and Konora of the Once Upon a Dance team, along with illustrator Weston, use broad concepts and brief, digestible text to introduce concepts that will be helpful to readers pursuing dance as a profession. They make it clear that not everyone will be successful, but their sage wisdom will allow readers to have a productive journey. Interspersed among beautifully painted images of dancers practicing arabesques or performing pirouettes are helpful tips under headings such as “Show Up,” “Embrace Your Journey,” and “Listen to Your Body,” among others. The gentle narration encourages self-care, openness to criticism, and always working toward self-improvement. The authors do a great job of balancing two important concepts: being gentle with oneself and being realistic about critiques. They also urge readers to work with others as a team and to act with kindness: “Treat people with dignity and respect. You’ll be better. They’ll be better. The world will be better.” One of the book’s greatest strengths is that its wisdom is applicable in many life situations apart from dance; trying one’s best, knowing one’s limits, and prioritizing one’s health are necessary for any successful career. The full-color, painterly illustrations are beautiful throughout, although readers might wish that they displayed more inclusivity; only a few portray dancers of color, for example. The book’s overall message is that one may improve the quality of one’s craft by working on oneself, whether one is currently dancing professionally or just for fun. More diverse representation visually would have made the universality of that message clearer.
An unevenly illustrated but often lovely reminder of the wonders of hard work and believing in oneself.Pub Date: Dec. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781955555692
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Once Upon A Dance
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
“Protect your passion,” writes an NBA star in this winning exploration of how we can succeed in life.
A future basketball Hall of Famer’s rosy outlook.
Curry is that rare athlete who looks like he gets joy from what he does. There’s no doubt that the Golden State Warriors point guard is a competitor—he’s led his team to four championships—but he plays the game with nonchalance and exuberance. That ease, he says, “only comes from discipline.” He practices hard enough—he’s altered the sport by mastering the three-point shot—so that he achieves a “kind of freedom.” In that “flow state,” he says, “I can let joy and creativity take over. I block out all distractions, even the person guarding me. He can wave his arms and call me every name in the book, but I just smile and wait as the solution to the problem—how to get the ball into the basket—presents itself.” Curry shares this approach to his craft in a stylish collection that mixes life lessons with sharp photographs and archival images. His dad, Dell, played in the NBA for 16 years, and Curry learned much from his father and mother: “My parents were extremely strict about me and my little brother Seth not going to my pops’s games on school nights.” Curry’s mother, Sonya, who founded the Montessori elementary school that Curry attended in North Carolina, emphasized the importance not just of learning but of playing. Her influence helped Curry and his wife, Ayesha, create a nonprofit foundation: Eat. Learn. Play. He writes that “making reading fun is the key to unlocking a kid’s ability to be successful in their academic journeys.” The book also has valuable pointers for ballers—and those hoping to hit the court. “Plant those arches—knees bent behind those 10 toes pointing at the hoop, hips squared with your shoulders—and draw your power up so you explode off the ground and rise into your shot.” Sounds easy, right?
“Protect your passion,” writes an NBA star in this winning exploration of how we can succeed in life.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780593597293
Page Count: 432
Publisher: One World/Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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