Picture Book #16

Author:  Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Title:  Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring
Illustrator:  Brian Floca
Readability score:  Kindergarten to Grade 2
Genre:  Non-fiction
Subgenre:  Biography
Theme:  Never give up on your dreams.  Try and try again until you succeed.
Primary and secondary characters:  Martha Graham, Aaron Copeland, Isamu Noguchi, the bride, the bridegroom, dancers, the Pioneer Woman
Awards:  2011 Sibert Honor Book
Date of Publication:  2010
Publishing company: Roaring Brook Press
ISBN number:  978-1-59643-338-0

This picture book gives the true story of Martha Graham, who was a famous ballet dancer in early 20th century.  Martha tells the story through dance of a young couple who travel west.  The dance takes place in springtime in Pennsylvania.  The couple are newlywed.  Martha struggles to find the right moves to tell the story, until composer Aaron Copeland adds music.  The dance still is not complete.  Martha asks her friend Isamu to create a set.  Now the dance is complete.  After the first performance, everyone loves Appalachian Spring.  It becomes one of America's most favorite dances.

Ballet for Martha is beautifully illustrated and written.  However, the topic of dancing is very foreign to me.  I believe this story would intrigue and interest children who dance.  I do not dance so I struggled to capture the feeling portrayed in the illustrations of dancers.  In order for students who are not dancers to comprehend this story better, I would find a video of Appalachian Spring as it was performed by Martha Graham and the other characters.  Before I played the video, I would read the story aloud.  This story conveys a literary element that teachers may not emphasize enough: viewing.  The students can make connections to the story once they see the movements of the actual ballet.  Then, we can understand the feelings and emotions that Martha conveyed in her dance.