Alaina and the Great Play - by Eloise Greenfield & Colin Bootman

About the Book

Kindergartner Alaina is excited about thanking the audience at the end of the second-grade play, but she is overwhelmed by the performance and has to share her enthusiasm, center stage.

Book Synopsis

With the guileless wonder and innocence of a little girl, Alaina is profoundly changed by the performance. As she falls in love with the art of live theater, her enthusiasm lands her center stage. "But when I opened my mouth, the right words didn't come out. I was too excited to say that little speech. It wasn't good enough for that great play, so..."

Review Quotes

"Award-winning author Greenfield introduces readers to Alaina, an ebullient kindergartner who discovers her love of live theater. On the day of the second-grade play, Alaina wakes up excited because she gets to make the closing speech, "Thank you for coming. Goodbye." She runs her lines through her head all day, but when her big moment comes, she is so blown away by the performance, she almost forgets what she is supposed to say. After turning a few celebratory summersaults, she delivers her lines and later falls asleep smiling and thinking of the play. Bootman's gorgeous illustrations use vibrant colors and soft brushwork to create realistic scenes of a loving Black family and the exciting bustle of school. Alaina experiences many emotions throughout the day, and Bootman always clearly shows them on her face, making it easy for readers to share in her feelings as the story progresses. A wonderful story to explain what theater is and how it conveys storytelling to an audience." --Rosie Camargo, Booklist Magazine

"Alaina's gregarious personality is shown through her actions and, ultimately, her words, and it's impossible not to connect with her enthusiasm. The realistic illustrations capture Alaina's buoyancy, making her the star of this book if not the show." --CBCC Choices 2022

"I wish we could have seen more of the play. Alaina seemed like she really enjoyed the play. And then she even did a flip, just like me! I also liked that the people in the book looked so real!" Aidyn, age 6, Kids Book Buzz

"A delightfully illustrated, one-of-a-kind Greenfield creation that will have readers wishing for another." --Kirkus Reviews

"Eloise Greenfield is a master storyteller. She and Colin worked their magic. His illustrations made me feel like I was part of Alaina's world." -- Kelly Starling Lyons, author and founding member of The Brown Bookshelf

"Text and pictures capture the delight, energy, reflection and spontaneity of young Alaina. Lovely book to share with children." --Geraldine Larson, librarian an Field Experience Coordinator for the UNC-School of Library & Information Science

"The story went directly to the heart and life of a child ... the illustrations were exciting companions to the text." --Ashley Bryan, Author of Freedom Over Me, winner of a Newbury Honor and 19 other awards

"From cover to cover, this book will steal your heart. With Alaina and the Great Play, beloved author Eloise Greenfield successfully captures the joy of a Black child and the strength and support of her family as they prepare for a special performance. The emotions of the story are brought to life by the gifted Colin Bootman, whose textured paintings exude the qualities of Black Girl magic." --Don Tate is an award-winning illustrator

About the Author

With many award-winning books to her credit, Eloise Greenfield has achieved her status among the most celebrated of children's authors. Multiple lifetime achievement awards include the ALA Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, a Living Legacy Award, a Hope S. Dean Award, and an NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, among others. She has been inducted into the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. Colin Bootman is the award-winning illustrator of more than twenty-five books for children, including The Blessing of Charlie Sand, Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas, Climbing Lincoln's Steps: The African American Journey, Love Twelve Miles Long, and The Steel Pan Man of Harlem--which he also wrote. He and his books have received numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Almost to Freedom, the Schneider Family Book Award, and the Teacher's Choice Award.