Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins

This picture-book biography tells the story of Janet Collins, who wanted to become a ballerina in the 1930s and 1940s, when racial segregation remained widespread in the United States. She continued pursuing that goal despite obstacles and became the first African American principal dancer, also described as a prima ballerina, at the Metropolitan Opera. The book presents Collins’s path in rhymed text with gentle digitally created illustrations.