Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

What happens when a little boy who likes basketball learns that he loves ballet?Langston, a little Black boy, is enchanted by an Alvin Ailey Dance Company performance he sees with his mother. After the performance, Langston asks, "Do you think I can dance like that?" She lovingly responds, "You can do whatever you set your mind to doing." Langston envisions twirling and leaping, just like the dancers. However, Langston faces opposition when another boy sees him dancing and admonishes, "Boys don't dance like that." A bit jarred, he defends his passion and heads to his first dance class anyway. Langston is the only boy amid the pink-tutu–clad little girls. When his teacher, Ms. Marie, gives him a pair of black ballet shoes, he runs and leaps across the room in excitement. This is a tenderly told story about self-acceptance. The love and support that Langston receives from his mother serve to buoy his confidence, but it is his awareness of his passion that sustains him and pushes him to do what makes him happy: a lesson for every child. The illustrations are warm and dreamy. Langston, his mother, and the other children, depicted as racially diverse, look almost photorealistic. This book will pair equally well with Julián Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love (2018), and I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James (2020). (This book was reviewed digitally.)The absolute embodiment of Black boy joy, this is a beautiful and important book. (Picture book. 4-8)

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Ballet brings Black boy joy to life in full color. An exuberant brown-skinned boy with an impressive flat-top haircut, Langston enjoys basketball but loves ballet. When he and his mother attend an Alvin Ailey dance performance, Langston is riveted. A Black male dancer performs a grand jete so high that he breaks through the frame of the illustration. Heading to his very first ballet lesson, Langston dances for everyone he meets (captured in a joyous double-page spread showing him leaping and twirling through a series of vignettes) but falters briefly when an older kid tells him, "Boys don't dance like that." At Ms. Marie's dance studio, Langston passes co-ed classes of kids learning hip-hop, African dance, and tap on his way to his ballet class, which consists only of girls wearing pastel tutus and white ballet slippers. He joins in and emulates Ms. Marie's movements in his sneakers until she uncovers a pair of black ballet slippers that she says he must work hard to earn. He eagerly agrees, and the final illustrations suggest that he delivers on his promise. Langston's red basketball jersey and shorts stand out visually and reflect the character's bold approach to ballet. The illustrations also counter stereotypes and invite children from every background to enjoy dance. Michelle H. Martin

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

What happens when a little boy who likes basketball learns that he loves ballet?Langston, a little Black boy, is enchanted by an Alvin Ailey Dance Company performance he sees with his mother. After the performance, Langston asks, "Do you think I can dance like that?" She lovingly responds, "You can do whatever you set your mind to doing." Langston envisions twirling and leaping, just like the dancers. However, Langston faces opposition when another boy sees him dancing and admonishes, "Boys don't dance like that." A bit jarred, he defends his passion and heads to his first dance class anyway. Langston is the only boy amid the pink-tutu–clad little girls. When his teacher, Ms. Marie, gives him a pair of black ballet shoes, he runs and leaps across the room in excitement. This is a tenderly told story about self-acceptance. The love and support that Langston receives from his mother serve to buoy his confidence, but it is his awareness of his passion that sustains him and pushes him to do what makes him happy: a lesson for every child. The illustrations are warm and dreamy. Langston, his mother, and the other children, depicted as racially diverse, look almost photorealistic. This book will pair equally well with Julián Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love (2018), and I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James (2020). (This book was reviewed digitally.)The absolute embodiment of Black boy joy, this is a beautiful and important book. (Picture book. 4-8)