| Ballet -- Juvenile literature. |
| Elephants -- Juvenile literature. |
| Texas Bluebonnet Master List, 2007/2008 -- Juvenile literature. |
| Circus polka (Choreographic work : Balanchine) -- Juvenile literature. |
| Fiction. |
Available:*
Audience | Shelf Location | Material Type | Shelf Number | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids/Juvenile | Picture books | Book | E SCHUBERT | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Sparking watercolors-and-ink illustrations dance across the page and spill out onto a horizontal foldout of elephants and ballerinas spotlighted together--in the true story of "Circus Polka," choreographed in 1942 by George Balanchine, with music by Igor Stravinsky and performances by John Ringling North's elephants. Robert Andrew Parker brings his love of theater, dance, and costume to this captivating story. Leda Schubert's background note includes black-and-white photos of the actual performance.
Author Notes
LEDA SCHUBERT was the school library consultant for the Vermont Department of Education, and she has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.
ROBERT ANDREW PARKER a costume and set designer, fine artist and printmaker, has work in the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan, and the Whitney. His many children's books include Cold Feet , winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and Action Jackson , a Robert F. Sibert Award Honor Book. He and his wife live in West Cornwall, Connecticut, where he is the drummer for the Bob Parker Quintet.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-This fascinating historical vignette traces the paths of three famous men-circus-owner John Ringling North, ballet-master George Balanchine, and composer Igor Stravinsky-and shows how their lives intersected to create a one-of-a-kind event. The Circus Polka, a ballet featuring 50 elephants and 50 dancers, all in pink tutus, took place in New York City in 1942. In a smooth storylike narrative, Schubert weaves biographical details about the participants with descriptions of the preparations, rehearsals, and dazzling performance. The book ends with an author's note and black-and-white photos, one of which shows a long line of costumed elephants with their feet resting on one another's backs. Presented on single pages and full spreads, and using variations of bright and muted colors, the watercolor-and-ink illustrations capture the movement and vitality of this creative undertaking. For the most part, the paintings focus tightly on the performers, providing close-up glimpses of Madoc, a large Indian elephant, and Vera Zorina, the featured dancer. Scenes that depict the full company in action include only two or three pachyderms, and, in one spread, the animals become a backdrop for the ballerinas. Children can best appreciate what the elephant corps de ballet looked like by viewing the photo, which shows most of the stage area. Clearly written and vividly illustrated, this book provides a unique introduction to three interesting individuals and a look at a curious moment in musical history.-Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A memorable piece of circus history takes center ring in Schubert's (Here Comes Darrell) fact-filled tale. The author explains how composer Igor Stravinsky, choreographer George Balanchine and circus leader John Ringling North-all famous in their own right-came together to create a ballet for 50 elephants in 1942. Several spreads feature separate brief histories of the three men: readers learn of Stravinsky's misunderstood music and Balanchine's homesickness when he was sent away to ballet school at age nine. North, who envisioned the pachyderm performance, called upon Russian-born Balanchine, who then involved his friend and fellow countryman Stravinsky. A gatefold opens to reveal the momentous dance. Modoc lifts ballerina Zorina in his trunk in a standout painting that recalls Toulouse-Lautrec's Moulin-Rouge posters; he and the other elephants "wore fluffy pink tutus and jeweled headbands." (The World's Greatest Elephant, reviewed below, offers a chilling backstory to elephant star Modoc's tale.) Parker's (Cold Feet) ethereal artwork evokes the lightness and movement of ballet, as watercolors bleed out of the pen-and-ink outlines. While the narrative casually uses a few terms (e.g., "bull men," "droshkies") without explanation, and the artists' backgrounds may seem like a bit of a detour, Schubert manages to put the show in a broader cultural context. Author notes contain black-and-white photos of the ballet along with additional fascinating facts (e.g., it took 7,000 yards of fabric to make the elephants' tutus). Ages 4-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 3. Like Ralph Helfer's The World's Greatest Elephant0 (2006), Schubert's book tells an astonishing true story about circus elephants in the U.S. John Ringling North dreamed up his elephant circus act in the 1940s, Igor Stravinsky wrote the music for it, George Balanchine choreographed the steps, and 50 elephants with ballerinas on their backs danced the Circus Polka for dazzled audiences. The words are simple and lyrical ("they let the audience see the music and hear the dance"), and the beautiful, freely sketched double-page ink-and-watercolor art celebrates the excitement of the animals' dance. Schubert's lengthy afterword, accompanied by a few photos, supplies information left out of the story, including the fact that circus animals were sometimes mistreated and that Balanchine and Stravinsky may have regarded the ballet as a farce. Images of the great animals in fluffy pink tutus and jeweled headbands will jar some children, but the book offers much to talk about: the public circus, and the issues of animal rights. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2006 Booklist