Dancing to Freedom.

Dancing to Freedom

Li Cunxin, author

Anne Spudvilas, illustrator

Walker & Company

175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

9780802797773, $16.95 www.walkerbooks.com 1-800-289-2553

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer is a children's picturebook based on the true-life story of author Li Cunxin, who was selected by Chairman Mao's officials to become a dancer. His arduous training allowed him to travel to America and around the world. Even though he was not permitted to see his family, he kept them in his heart and dreams. "One day a wonderful thing happened. I learned that my parents could come from China to see me dance! Could it be true that after all this time I was to see them again?" A final page tells young readers more about the China that Li knew growing up in the 1960s--a very strict place in which the government firmly controlled people's lives and possessions, and a place that has since changed greatly. Illustrator Anne Spudvilas traveled with Li to visit Li's village, family, and friends as well as studying Chinese brush painting to grace Dancing to Freedom with a truly authentic touch. Also highly recommended is the "Young Readers' Edition" of Li's autobiography, "Mao's Last Dancer".