Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina [Hardcover]

Maria Tallchief (Author), Rosemary Wells (Author), Gary Kelley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Music flowed through young Maria Tallchief as naturally as the wind in her hair. She had only to hear a melody and out it came under her fingers on the piano or through her body in dance. But it was soon clear that she would have to make a choice. "Piano or dance," her father told her when she was twelve. "One or the other, but follow that one star." So Maria chose from the heart--and she chose dance. It was a decision that would change not only the course of her life, but the face of classical ballet in America forever. From her early years on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma to her dance training in Los Angeles to her departure for New York and a professional career, the fascinating story of Maria Tallchief, America's prima ballerina, is sure to captivate the hearts of young readers and dance lovers alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite its subtitle, this picture-book biography focuses on the childhood and adolescence of Maria Tallchief, not on her groundbreaking career. The text itself is poetic, almost like a fairy tale in its scene-setting. Tallchief's father, an Osage, "could spot a rattlesnake out of the corner of his eye... and shoot the snake from fifty yards away while still walking." Her mother, of Scots-Irish descent, "was small as a bird, and beautiful. My father loved to give her diamond rings." Oil fields have made the Tallchiefs and the others on their Oklahoma reservation "the wealthiest people on the face of the earth." In metaphorical language, Tallchief and Wells (Mary on Horseback) describe young Betty Marie's twin passions for music and dance, and her mother's role in developing them. The language can be abstract ("The secret of music is that it is something like a house with many rooms"), but the story is gripping. The Tallchiefs move to Los Angeles so Betty Marie and her sister can receive better trainingAonly to discover that everything their Oklahoma teacher has taught them is wrong. Later Betty Marie enrolls in a class given by the sister of Nijinsky ("He was like a god, and so she was the sister of a god"); at 17 she leaves for New York, to join the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, and there the book ends. Her fame is discussed only in Wells's foreword, and comments in the text such as "I became a pioneer for American dance" go unexplained. Kelley's (The Red Heels) softly focused paintings underscore the lyrical tone, enveloping the characters and settings in gauzy, dreamlike light and concentrating, provocatively, on stillness as opposed to movement. Ages 4-9. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 2-4-A picture-book autobiography of the early years of America's first internationally significant ballerina. Through eloquent words, readers are immediately drawn into this first-person narrative. The story opens with Tallchief's birth on an Osage Indian reservation. Her Scots-Irish mother made sure that Maria and her sister received dance and music lessons, and eventually her father persuaded her to choose between piano and dance. The rest is history. The story ends when, at age 17, Maria left home to seek her fame and fortune in New York. As beautiful as the text is, so too are Kelley's pictures. The large illustrations, several covering double-page spreads, are rendered in soft pastels. The text and artwork combine to make a pleasing introduction to a fascinating person. Wells's personal connection to ballet and Tallchief, explained in the introduction, makes this effort all the more stirring. All told, a simple, lovely offering.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; 1st Ed. edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670887560
• ISBN-13: 978-0670887569
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,381,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for your little ballerinas, December 8, 2009

By 

Linda "Homeschool Mom" (Longwood, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina (Paperback)

This is a charming book with beautiful artwork. My daughter enjoyed it, though she did wish it had information about the Maria's career once she became a professional in New York.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tallchief, America's Prima Ballerina, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina (Hardcover)

Tallchief, America's Prima Ballerina, written by Maria Tallchief with Rosemary Wells, is a lovely, lyrical account of a young girl's fierce desire to express the music she felt within her through ballet."I was born with music that flowed through my body as naturally as blood in my veins." Both a talented pianist and dancer, Maria was encouraged by her father to choose one "star". "In the way that very young people choose, from the heart, I chose (ballet) and I chose right". Any young reader would choose right in selecting this inspiring account of a unique American star.

4.0 out of 5 stars Tallchief Americas Prima Ballerina, February 20, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina (Paperback)

The story Tallchief Americas Prima Ballerina is by Maria Tallchief and Rosemary Well. This story is a very heart touching story about a girl following her dreams. The book shows you how hard work and dedication gets you far in life.

The detailed pictures go great with the descriptive words. They really elaborate what's going on in the story. This realistic story shows the reality of decisions making in life. In this story, She had to make the decision on where she was going in life.

This book also shows the main characters culture and background. Maria Tallchief is half Osage and half Scots-Irish.

I think that Tallchief America's Prima Ballerina is a good book because it shows the ambition of a ballerina and what it takes to be one. It also shows reality of a life determining decision, and also teaches about chasing and achieving your dreams.