Knockin' on Wood: Starring Peg Leg Bates
Description
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, National Council for the Social Studies/ Children's Book Council
An inspirational biography of Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates (1907--1998), an African American man who overcame the hardship of losing a leg at age 12 and went on to become a world-renowned tap dancer.
Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates was one of the legendary tap dancers of the twentieth century. As a young boy, Clayton loved to dance, but when he lost his left leg in a factory accident at age twelve, no one thought he would ever walk again, let alone dance. But Clayton's musical spirit was still alive. Soon he was dancing using crutches, then a peg leg. Within a short time his peg leg matched the dancing ability of his other leg.
Peg Leg Bates performed throughout the United States and Europe, winning the hearts of audiences with his unique style of dancing. He was an amazing showstopper and an inspiration to everyone he met. With determination and a love of life, he turned misfortune into triumph. His most lasting achievement might just be the extraordinary example he set for us all.
Lynne Barasch's initial inspiration for Knockin' on Wood came many years ago when she learned about Peg Leg Bates from her daughter's tap dance teacher.
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Reviews
* "This inspiring biography of Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates, who lost his left leg in a cottonseed mill accident in 1919 at the age of 12, chronicles the man's amazing life from his days as the son of a sharecropper in South Carolina to his rise to fame as a tap dancer... Barasch's watercolor-and-ink cartoon paintings capture the poverty of the dancer's early life, the adulation of his fans, and his joyous love of dancing." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"It's a very neat story, told briefly but effectively; the illustrations are full of movement and flair" -- Kirkus Reviews
"[A] credible introduction to a memorable and remarkably resolute dancer." -- Publishers Weekly
"Sprightly ink-and-watercolor art ably depicts both the poverty of Bates' early life and the colorful world of entertainment. A remarkable two-page spread bridges the before and after, showing many small images of Bates in various tap dancing positions... Quotes at the book's conclusion offer a taste of his philosophy: 'Black or white, one leg or two, it doesn't matter. Good is good." -- Booklist
"This is a compact and enlightening biography of an unusual figure... Bates is a natty and amiable figure, whose airborne exuberance conveys his love of his art form. This will provide a useful dance counterpoint to all those pink ballet books, and it's also a lively and capable tribute to an American original." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Knockin' on Wood makes an important contribution to children's literature by raising awareness of this remarkable and talented man." -- Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, National Council for the Social Studies/ Children's Book Council
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College
