When Langston Dances by Langley, Kaija

A young Black boy dreams of dancing in this exuberant, buoyant picture book celebrating the beauty of dance, and the wonder of Black Boy Joy--perfect for fans of Firebird and Crown

Langston likes basketball okay, but what he loves is to dance--ever since he saw the Alvin Ailey Dance Company perform. He longs to twirl into a pirouette, whirl into a piqu . He wants to arabesque and attitude, grand battement and grand jet . When he walks, the whole street is his stage.

With his neighborhood cheering him on, will Langston achieve his dream?

Author: Kaija Langley
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books f
Published: 09/07/2021
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 11.00h x 9.60w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781534485198
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.6
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 516590 / When Langston Dances


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2021
Publishers Weekly 09/06/2021
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2022 pg. 90
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Kaija Langley has been writing since she fell in love with words at age seven. She knew she was onto something when she wrote her first poem and her grade school classmates thought she'd copied it from a book! A proud alumna of Morgan State University, a historically black college and university in Baltimore, Maryland, she received her MFA in fiction from St. Mary's College of California in 2005. She's called many places home over the years--New Jersey, Maryland, DC, California, Louisiana--and currently lives, writes, and plays in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her two bonsai and her beloved.

Keith Mallett has been drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. The NAACP Image Award-nominated artist and designer has created posters and fine art prints for more than forty years. As guest artist, he crafted the 2017 Google Doodle commemorating Martin Luther King Day. Keith Lives in San Diego with his wife and German Shepherd.