REMEMBER HER NAME!

A picture-book salute to pioneering dancer Debbie Allen.

“In the heart / of the Third Ward / of Houston, Texas, / beneath a star-covered sky… / the wind stirs its nighttime song / as Debbie begins.” Young Debbie starts to dance. But it’s the 1950s, and Black people face barriers: “White signs / painted with black words / with a message loud and clear: / people like Debbie / are simply not welcome here.” “Here” includes the local dance school. Debbie’s mother can’t abide the thought of her daughter’s wasted potential and dashed dreams, so “with the wind at their backs, / they cross the border, / feet planted on new soil.” Charles’ poetic approach to biographizing Allen’s childhood is lovely, though at times it relegates details to the backmatter: The “new soil” where Debbie and her mother relocate isn’t identified in the main narrative, for instance, though the author’s note clarifies that it’s Mexico City. Nor does the main text clue in readers about Allen’s considerable adult accomplishments; readers learn only that Debbie returns to Houston after “some years,” continues to dance, and ultimately enjoys a successful stage career: “Beneath the white-bright lights, / the music sings / as history unfolds.” Still, the verse sparkles, and the book’s reach-for-the-sky imperative is reinforced by Lucius’ sleek and glossy digital art, in which dancing Debbie is frequently flanked by twinkly stars.

Uplifting and glowing.