Stand Straight Ella Kate, Kate and M. Sarah Klise

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant, Kate and M. Sarah Klise
ISBN: 9780803734043
Read December 2, 2013

Picture Book (SC Picture Book Award Winner for 2012-2013)

Ella Kate was perfectly normal, until she turned seven.  After that, she grew at an astonishing rate, eventually topping out at 8'4" with size 24 shoes.

Beginning at age 17, she took her unusual height and used it to make a profit, working for a Chicago museum of oddities and making $1000 in a single month (which is an INSANE amount of money for anyone in 1890, let alone a 17 year old girl).

She got a taste of the wide world outside her small-town plains homestead, and continued touring for almost 20 years before her death at age 40.

The illustrations by Sarah Klise are deceptively simple - the expressions on the faces are spot-on and the body language is likewise quite deft for the otherwise flat "naive" illustrations.  Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the endpapers, where various factoids about Ella Kate are illustrated and recorded - everything from a full-size recreation of a glove, to her shoe-size, to the height of her dresser.

The story is told straightforwardly, with no extra sentimentality or excess, which I think well-suits what we're shown of Ella Kate's actual character.  The story wisely ends with her on tour, planning to see as much of the world as possible, leaving it to the nonfiction coda (complete with an actual photograph) to tell about the end of her life.

Excellent for storytime, or for kids interested in "larger than life" folklore heroes or fairy-tale giants.

Dancing in the Wings, Debbie Allen, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Sassy is tall.  She has long gangly legs, and huge feet.  She's also a ballerina, and quite proud of her height - mostly.  Her brother teases her about it, but she gives as good as she gets, and keeps on working hard at her dancing.

Still, being tallest is not the greatest thing - her ballet teacher stumbles over Sassy's feet, she can't dance partner work because she's taller than all the boys, and she can't even dance in ensemble with the other girls because she's too tall to fit in.

When a famous Russian instructor offers try-outs for a summer dance festival in DC, she's excited and proudly signs up to audition, but the snickers and cracks from her fellow dancers, and from her brother, finally get to her.  Maybe she is too tall and gangly?  Maybe her feet are too big?  Maybe - maybe it would be safer just not to try out at all...?

A pep talk from a favorite uncle cheers her up and gets her confidence back up to par, and she attends the audition in her brightest yellow leotard, determined to be noticed, and to do her best. 

I love this story.  I've read it before, and I liked it then, too.  I'll never be a ballerina (I'm pigeon-toed with weird hips) but I am pretty tall for a girl - 5'10" in my bare feet.  I'm married to a lovely guy who happens to be 6'6".  His sisters all break the 6' mark.  We were all swimmers, and we all have legs that practically reach our armpits. 

I'm gonna have me some tall kids eventually, I just know it.  Books like this one are perfect for me to keep in mind when they get a little older, because kids (and adults) can be really cruel about physical differences.  It takes a lot of repetition for someone who's always singled out for being different to realize that sometimes different can be really really good!  All it takes is one look at that picture of Sassy in her bright yellow, head bowed in disappointment (temporary) with those looooong skinny legs, and I know right where she's coming from.  This book is a keeper.