Booklist Review of Zendaya

The Bearcub Bios series is geared toward early readers and those reading biographies or other nonfiction for the first time. In this colorful volume, readers will find a concise introduction to actress, singer, and dancer Zendaya. Using well-chosen photos and simple text, two or three sentences per spread with vocabulary words in bold, the book gives a general overview of Zendaya’s childhood and family life and also highlights some of her many achievements, like her dancing career at age 14 and her People’s Choice award in 2019. One spread focuses on positive qualities Zendaya possesses, like being kind and her belief in standing up to bullies. The book closes with a page of facts about Zendaya and a “Life Connections” prompt that asks readers to think about what they love doing as much as Zendaya loves being a performer. Teaching tips preface the main text, offering parents and instructors suggestions on how to help children engage with the book before, during, and after reading. Taken together, these features form a wonderful approach to introducing reading comprehension skills when using biographies. A helpful addition to any school or public library.