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Rachel Isadora facts for kids

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Rachel Isadora (born 1953) is an American artist who writes and illustrates children's books, especially picture books. She also creates beautiful oil paintings.

She is well-known for her book Ben's Trumpet. This book was a runner-up for the important Caldecott Medal in 1980. It also won the Boston Globe-Horn Book honor. Later, Ben's Trumpet was even turned into a video and a ballet by the BalletRox company in 2009.

Rachel has written and illustrated over 150 children's books! Her books cover many different topics. These include ballet and dance, city life in America, family stories, life in Africa, and classic fairy tales. Some of her books have even been chosen by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Before becoming an author and artist, Rachel was a professional ballet dancer. An injury made her change careers. Besides writing and illustrating, she also sells her oil paintings. Many of these paintings show her love for dance. They also show her experiences living in Africa and New York City.

About Her Life

Rachel Isadora started dancing when she was a young girl. She later earned a scholarship from the Ford Foundation to study at the School of American Ballet. She learned from famous dance figures like George Balanchine, who founded the New York City Ballet. She also studied with the designer Rouben Ter-Arutunion.

Rachel danced for a short time with the Boston Ballet Company. However, a foot injury led her to become a visual artist instead. Her first book, Max, came out in 1976. It's about a boy who finds out that ballet can help him become a better baseball player. Max was named an ALA Notable Book. Many of Rachel's other books also feature ballet and dance. A great example is the Lili at Ballet series. This series includes Lili at Ballet, Lili on Stage, and Lili Backstage. Her Caldecott Honor book, Ben's Trumpet, also combines music and dance.

Rachel lived in Africa for almost ten years. Because of this, she has adapted many well-known stories and fairy tales to African settings. These include Rapunzel, The Princess and the Pea, Hanzel and Gretel, and The Fisherman and His Wife. She also adapted The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Night before Christmas, and The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Rachel Isadora's love for art continues through her oil paintings. In 2016, she had a solo art show called "Art of the Dance." It showed 25 paintings about classic ballet and modern dance. She has continued to show her art in many exhibits. These include shows at ArtNY, The Reveal Art Show in Saratoga Springs, NY, and ArtMiami in 2019.

Her Books and Art

As Writer and Illustrator

  1. Max, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1976
  2. The Potters' Kitchen, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1977
  3. Willaby, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1977
  4. Backstage, with Robert Maiorano, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1978
  5. Ben's Trumpet, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1979
  6. My Ballet Class, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1980
  7. No, Agatha!, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1980
  8. Jesse and Abe, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1981
  9. The Nutcracker, (Retold) Macmillan (New York, NY), 1981
  10. City Seen from A to Z, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1983
  11. Opening Night, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1984
  12. I Hear, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1985
  13. I See, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1985
  14. I Touch, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1985
  15. The Pirates of Bedford Street, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1988
  16. The Princess and the Frog (based on The Frog King and Iron Heinrich by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm), Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1989
  17. Swan Lake: A Ballet Story (based on the ballet Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky), Putnam (New York, NY), 1989
  18. Friends, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1990
  19. Babies, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1990
  20. At the Crossroads, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1991
  21. Over the Green Hills, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1992
  22. Lili at Ballet, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1993
  23. Firebird (based on the ballet by Stravinsky), Putnam (New York, NY), 1994
  24. My Ballet Diary, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1995
  25. Lili on Stage, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1995
  26. The Steadfast Tin Soldier (based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen), Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1996
  27. The Little Match Girl (based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen), Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1996
  28. Lili Backstage, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1997
  29. Young Mozart, Penguin (New York, NY), 1997.
  30. The Little Mermaid (based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen), Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1998.
  31. Isadora Dances, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1998
  32. A South African Night, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998
  33. Caribbean Dreams, Putnam (New York, NY), 1998
  34. Listen to the City, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999
  35. ABC Pop!, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1999
  36. Sophie Skates, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 1999
  37. 123 Pop!, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 2000
  38. Nick Plays Baseball, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 2001
  39. Bring on That Beat, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 2002
  40. Peekaboo Morning, Penguin Putnam (New York, NY), 2002
  41. Mr. Moon, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2002
  42. On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2003
  43. Not Just Tutus, Putnam (New York, NY), 2003
  44. In the Beginning, Putnam (New York, NY), 2003
  45. What a Family, Putnam (New York, NY), 2005
  46. Luke Goes to Bat, Putnam (New York, NY), 2005
  47. Yo, Jo!, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2007
  48. The Princess and the Pea (based on the story by the Brothers Grimm), Putnam Juvenile (2007)
  49. Rapunzel, (based on the story by the Brothers Grimm), Putnam Juvenile (2008)
  50. The Fisherman and His Wife, (based on the story by the Brothers Grimm), Putnam Juvenile (2008)
  51. The Twelve Dancing Princesses (based on the story by the Brothers Grimm), Putnam Juvenile (2008)
  52. Hanzel and Gretel (based on the story by the Brothers Grimm), Putnam Juvenile (2009)
  53. The Night before Christmas, Putnam Juvenile (2009)
  54. The Twelve Days of Christmas, Putnam Juvenile (2010)
  55. Say Hello, Putnam Juvenile, (2010)
  56. There Was a Tree (adapted from the folk song "And the Green Grass Grew All Around"), Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (2012)
  57. Bea at the Ballet, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House (2012)
  58. Old Mikamba Had a Farm, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (2013)
  59. Jake at Gymnastics, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (2014)
  60. Bea in the Nutcracker, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (2015)
  61. I Hear a Pickle, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (2016)
  62. I Just Want to Say Goodnight, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (Pub Date, Fall, 2016)
  63. My Dog Laughs, Nancy Paulsen Books, Division of Penguin Random House, (Pub Date, Spring, 2017)

As Illustrator Only

  • Robert Maiorano, Francisco, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1978
  • Elizabeth Shub, Seeing Is Believing, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1979
  • Robert Maiorano, A Little Interlude, Coward, McCann & Geoghegan (New York, NY), 1980
  • Elizabeth Shub, The White Stallion, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1982
  • Elizabeth Shub, Cutlass in the Snow, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1986
  • Patricia C. McKissack, Flossie & the Fox, Dial (New York, NY), 1986
  • Ruth Young, Golden Bear, Viking (New York, NY), 1990
  • Sandol Stoddard, editor, Prayers, Praises, and Thanksgivings, Dial (New York, NY), 1992
  • Reeve Lindbergh, Grandfather's Lovesong, Viking (New York, NY), 1993
  • Jane Kurtz, In the Small, Small Night, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2005
  • Deborah Hopkinson, Saving Strawberry Farm, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2005
  • Carolyn Vaughan, "Invitation to Ballet: A Celebration of Dance and Degas", The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Abrams Books (2012)

As a Painter

You can see Rachel Isadora's paintings on her Official website: http://www.rachelisadora.com/.

Awards and Special Mentions

  • Max received the 1976 Child Study Association Children's Book of the Year award. It also won the Children's Choice award in 1976. It was named an American Library Association (ALA) notable book. Max was also chosen for Reading Rainbow.
  • Seeing Is Believing, which Elizabeth Shub wrote, was an ALA Notable Book in 1979.
  • Ben's Trumpet received a Boston Globe/Horn Book honor for its illustrations in 1979. School Library Journal named it a Best Book for Spring in 1979. It also won the Caldecott Honor Book award in 1980.
  • The White Stallion, written by Elizabeth Shub, won the Best Book award from School Library Journal in 1982. It was also an ALA notable book.
  • City Seen from A to Z won the Children's Book award from the New York Public Library in 1982.
  • I Hear and I See won the Child Study Association Children's Book of the Year award in 1985.
  • Flossie and the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack, and Cutlass in the Snow by Elizabeth Shub, both won Child Study Association Children's Book of the Year awards in 1986. Flossie and the Fox also made the Horn Book honor list in 1987.
  • At the Crossroads was an ALA Notable Book in 1991.
  • The Fisherman and His Wife received a Parent's Choice award in 2008.
  • Hansel and Gretel won the Virginia Reader's Choice award in 2011.
  • Bea at Ballet received a Horn Book award in 2012.
  • Old Mikamba Had a Farm won an ALA Notable Book award in 2013.
  • Ben's Trumpet was included in the New York Public Library's "100 Top Children's Books of the Last 100 Years" in 2013.
  • I Hear a Pickle received three-star reviews from Kirkus Review in 2015.
  • I Hear a Pickle was featured as Amazon's Best Book of the Month for January by School Library Journal in 2016.

Her Impact

Ben's Trumpet was turned into a jazz ballet. Tony Williams choreographed it, and BalletRox performed it for the first time in 2009.

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