"The My Itty-Bitty Bio series are biographies for the earliest readers. This book examines the life of Maria Tallchief, the first Native American major prima ballerina, in a simple, age-appropriate way that helps children develop word recognition and reading skills. The series celebrates diversity, covering women and men from a range of backgrounds and professions including immigrants and individuals with disabilities. Includes a timeline, primary...

"Maria Tallchief loved to dance, but was told that she might need to change her Osage name to one that sounded more Russian to make it as a professional ballerina. She refused, and worked hard at dancing her best, becoming America's first prima ballerina. Many famous American ballets were created for Maria!" -- "A biography of Maria Tallchief, part of the She Persisted chapter book series" --

"Maria Tallchief knew she wanted to dance while watching Osage dancers as a child in Oklahoma. For tribal ceremonies, only men were allowed to dance. But, Maria went on to become America's first prima ballerina. She was one of the best dancers in the world"--