She Kept Dancing: The True Story of a Professional Dancer with a Limb Difference

by Sydney Mesher, Catherine Laudone, Natelle Quek (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The gorgeous and inspirational story of the first Rockette with a visible disability, this is an empathetic but honest depiction of the world and the perseverance required to thrive in it.

This warm and inviting picture book, cowritten with Catherine Laudone and brightly illustrated by Natelle Quek, takes young readers along on Sydney’s journey—through the joyous ups as well as the crushing downs—and tells the story of how through it all, she kept dancing.

No two dances were the same. Each one was beautiful because it was different—just like how Sydney’s body was also beautiful because it was different.

Sydney Mesher was born with ten toes and five fingers. But it was her toes that her mom noticed first. "I can tell she’s going to be a dancer," she said.

And it turned out Mom was right—after years of hard work, Sydney eventually danced her way onto the famous stage of Radio City Music Hall, becoming the first Rockette with a visible disability.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250842671
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	10/31/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	178,064
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sydney Mesher, originally from Portland, Oregon, is a bicoastal artist. She has danced on Disney Plus’ “Growing Up,” the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Today Show, and with KPop group, BTS Official. She has been featured in an Olay Beauty product launch and by Health Magazine, ESPN, GMA, NBC, People Magazine, New York Post, and CNN. Mesher has modeled for Adidas, Hollister, Tommy Hilfiger, Neen, and Olay Beauty, and has walked in New York Fashion Week. Mesher is a Radio City Rockette and made her acting debut in “A Holiday Spectacular” on the Hallmark Channel. Her career is driven by bringing a new image to the entertainment industry by highlighting different body types and celebrating individuality.

Catherine Laudone is a children’s book author and editor. She Kept Dancing is her co-authored picture book debut. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and currently lives in New Jersey. When not writing or editing, she enjoys drinking chocolate tea, crocheting, and baking.

Natelle Quek is a Malaysian-born children’s book illustrator who grew up in New Zealand, and now calls the UK home. In a previous life, she worked as a biochemistry technician in various laboratories before hanging up her lab coat and pursuing a career in illustration. She has since illustrated several young fiction and picture books, including She Kept Dancing by Sydney Mesher and Catherine Laudone. Natelle lives in leafy, historic Kent with her husband, a grumpy cat, and a loud-snoring dog. In her free time, she loves to explore nature trails and tend to her vast collection of house plants.

Editorial Reviews

10/16/2023

Written with Laudone, Mesher’s personal tale centers persistence in following a dream alongside a message of “celebrating different body types using a language everyone could understand: dance.” Mesher was born “with ten toes and five fingers. But it was her toes that Mom noticed first,” informing her mother’s belief that Mesher would become a dancer. The third-person narrative follows Mesher through childhood years of dance classes to a performing arts high school, and finally to various professional pursuits in New York City where—after several rejections as well as an “intermission” due to a broken foot—she achieves her wish of becoming a Rockette, Radio City’s first visibly disabled dancer. The honest, sensitive voice doesn’t shy away from representing the cruel words that Mesher endured (“Others called her a monster”), while also capturing the joy of “turning, swaying, and leaping.” Depicting characters with a variety of skin tones, Quek’s figure-focused cartoon art enlivens the pages with energetic depictions of movement. A personal note from Mesher concludes. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for She Kept Dancing:

"Shines a spotlight on Sydney’s empowering message of 'celebrating different body types.' ... Quek’s effervescent digital illustrations are full of motion and emotion. Photographs and a 'Note from Sydney' round out this inspiring introduction to an athlete gracefully kicking down disability barriers and misconceptions." —Booklist

"Aspiring dancers will especially enjoy [Sydney's] journey, and readers with limb differences will find reassurance that their bodies, too, are 'worth celebrating.' ... Affirming and uplifting." —Kirkus Reviews

"Written with Laudone, Mesher’s personal tale centers persistence in following a dream alongside a message of 'celebrating different body types using a language everyone could understand: dance.' ... The honest, sensitive voice doesn’t shy away from representing the cruel words that Mesher endured ('Others called her a monster'), while also capturing the joy of 'turning, swaying, and leaping.' Depicting characters with a variety of skin tones, Quek’s figure-focused cartoon art enlivens the pages with energetic depictions of movement." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2023-08-26
How Mesher became Radio City’s first visibly disabled dancer.

Sydney was born with just five fingers, but her 10 toes caught her mother’s eye first: Sydney, she declared, would be a dancer. Confirming Mom’s prediction, Sydney was “twirling, swaying, and leaping” before she could crawl. When young Sydney entered dance class, however, some kids called her a monster. Fortunately, Sydney heeded Mom’s advice: “Keep dancing.” In college, she became one of the first female backup dancers for K-pop group BTS. A broken foot made her stumble but was fortunately only “intermission”; she obtained a dance degree and landed modeling gigs, hoping to encourage others like her. Her biggest dream, though, was to be a Radio City Rockette in New York City. Despite several rejections, she tried “one / more / time”…and became the first Rockette with a visible disability. Both text and illustrations eloquently evoke dancing’s expressive capacity. Sydney’s sadness is “a slow dance with many turns and sweeping gestures”; after she realizes that not wearing a prosthetic hand feels more natural, her self-confidence becomes “a wild freestyle number.” Quek’s fluid cartoon illustrations use space and perspective to emphasize Sydney’s emotions. Aspiring dancers will especially enjoy her journey, and readers with limb differences will find reassurance that their bodies, too, are “worth celebrating.” Sydney presents white; background characters are racially diverse.

Affirming and uplifting. (author’s note from Mesher, photos) (Picture-book biography. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews