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Sky Dancers

By Connie Ann Kirk
Illustrated by Christy Hale

Paperback: $11.95

Hardcover: out of stock

Ebook

John Cloud's father is a steelworker building skyscrapers in New York City, far away from their home upstate on the Mohawk Reservation. When Papa is home on weekends, John Cloud stays close by his father’s side, helping him with his work.

Between weekends John Cloud misses Papa and longs to visit him in the city. One day Mama agrees to take him there. New York City turns out to be busy and noisy, but what really astonishes John Cloud is seeing Papa on a high cross beam of the Empire State Building, the tallest skyscraper in the world. John Cloud feels as if his heart will burst with pride and amazement as he watches his father dance across the sky.

Set in the early 1930s and based on the history of Mohawk steelworkers, Sky Dancers is a warm celebration of family, courage, and the forces of nature. Sensitively told and stunningly illustrated, this is a story for all ages.

Teach about design, building, and architecture with Sky Dancers.
 

About the Creators

Thumb_cak_for_examiner Connie Ann Kirk - Author

has written several nonfiction books for young readers, including The Mohawks of North America. She is also the author of the reference, Companion to American Children's Picture Books. A descendant of the Iroquois (Seneca), Kirk was inspired to write the picture book Sky Dancers by her father's carpentry work. She researched extensively the Mohawks' role in building the skyscrapers and bridges of New York City and the history of the Empire State Building. Kirk lives in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. To find out more about Connie Ann Kirk, visit her Web site: connieannkirk.com

Thumb_christyhalergb_2022_copy Christy Hale

CHRISTY HALE has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children, including Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building and several other titles for Lee & Low Books. As an educator, Hale currently teaches picture book writing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has also taught art and graphic design to high school students, and first learned about the Lemon Grove case at an in-service teacher workshop. Hale and her husband live in Palo Alto, California. You can visit her online at christyhale.com. Photo credit: Jenna Cole.