Sophie Skates ANNOTATION
Uses a story about a young girl who loves to ice skate to introduce the sport: the parts and care of skates, the techniques of different skating moves, and ice skating competitions.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Sophie SkatesSophie wants to be a professional ice skater when she grows up. To reach her goal, she knows she must work hard. It takes a lot of time and effort to master the skills and jumps. But all of her hard work is worth it when the time comes for Sophie's favorite part of ice skating-competing. With enough practice and dedication, one day Sophie may be the best! Woven into Sophie's story are many detailed pictures and pieces of information about the world of ice skating, from the clothing and equipment to the moves and jumps.
"A winning score for Isadora once again." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Childrens Literature
Sophie's love of skating began at age three. By the ripe old age of eight she knows her destiny--to be a professional skater. Her day begins at 5 a.m. when she and her friends begin their warm-ups. Moves such as "Mohawks," three turns, spins, splits, spirals, etc. are depicted artistically but accurately. Sophie practices both her short program, 2 min. 40 sec. And her long program, 4 min. The basics, such as figures, are important as skaters must use both inside and outside edges and demonstrate their control of them. Isadora describes it all with knowing appreciation for the artistry and the technical skills required. The joy and the discipline of ice-skating are vividly portrayed. Professional skaters never stop practicing, but when you love it, the hard work is joyful. 1999, Putnam Publishing Group, Ages 4 to 9, $15.99. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman
Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Repeating the formula she used in Lili at Ballet (Putnam, 1993), Isadora turns her attention to figure skating, rounding out her story of a fictional child with relevant information about the sport. Young readers are sure to admire eight-year-old Sophie, who is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional ice skater. While she clearly loves to skate, her story emphasizes the hard work, time, and dedication required to excel in the sport. Captions for the watercolor illustrations sometimes provide informative facts but are the book's weakest aspect. (A novice skater's free skate would be shorter than indicated, and the position shown for "shoot the duck" is incorrect.) Even so, children will love poring over the pictures of children skating. Isadora remains one of the best at illustrating rhythm and athletic movement. Rely on stronger titles in your nonfiction section for the skating information, and save Sophie Skates for its picture of a likable girl hard at work becoming a star.-Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
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