Alvin Ailey - (Great Black Performers) by Andrea Pinkney (Paperback)

About the Book

"This markedly talented husband-and-wife team offers a warm profile of dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey . . . intertwining Ailey's alleged thoughts and conversations with facts about his childhood, his introduction to the world of dance . . . and his founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958."--"Publishers Weekly," starred review. Full color.

Book Synopsis

An informative and inspiring biography of Alvin Ailey, the great African-American dancer and choreographer, created by TheNew York Times bestselling and award-winning duo Andrea David Pinkney and Brian Pinkey.

Since he was a young boy in Navasota, Texas, Alvin Ailey loved to stomp his feed and clap his hands to the music of the True Vine Baptist choir. Later, he learned how to dance. He spent some time with the best teachers of the era and eventually started his own modern dance company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

This is the story of Alvin Ailey's life--a life that left its imprint as much on the history of the American people as on the history of modern dance.

Don't miss the other Great Black Performers biographies:
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

Review Quotes

"[A] simply told but inspiring story of a pioneer in American modern dance...Brian Pinkney's illustrations convey Alvin Ailey's grace as a dancer as well as his strength ad pride in his art."--Horn Book, starred review

"An accessible picture-book biography that recounts Ailey's boyhood...the book is both informative and inspiring and will make an excellent addition to most collections."--School Library Journal

"In their first children's book collaboration, this markedly talented husband-and-wife team offers a warm profile of dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey..."--Publishers Weekly

"This attractive introduction, based on interviews with many who knew Ailey, will leave readers hungry for more."--Kirkus

"This handsome picture-book biography pays tribute to modern dancer Alvin Ailey, who's best known for interpreting African American culture through his dancing and choreography."--Booklist

About the Author

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award.

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals.

The Pinkneys have been named among the "25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives" by Children's Health magazine. They live in Brooklyn, New York.