Martee Dares to Dance
9781962351096
32 pages
Gloo Books
Overview
In their first children's book, actors and dancers Harry Shum Jr (Grey’s Anatomy, Glee) and Shelby Rabara (Steven Universe) remind young ones that while embracing our true selves takes courage, it often leads to our greatest adventures.
Martee loves dancing to his own beat. But after an embarrassing experience leaves him reluctant to show off his moves, Martee grapples with the decision to attend his school's upcoming Halloween dance. It isn't until he meets an unlikely friend—a Martian—that he finds the courage to embrace his bold moves and discovers that creative expression knows no bounds.
"We wrote this book because it takes courage to dance in front of others,” say authors Shum and Rabara. "Dance opens up avenues of adventure, whether it be an impromptu dance party in the middle of the grocery store aisle or a way to express feelings of joy and sadness and all the in-betweens. It has been an amazing form of expression and a creative outlet for our family. We hope this book inspires kids and parents to embrace the way they move in this world."
Author Bio
As an actor, dancer, and producer, Harry Shum Jr has proven himself to be a dynamic force in Hollywood. While he is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the hit series Glee, Shum has consistently embodied complex and meaningful characters. Shum can currently be seen as the sharp-witted intern Benson “Blue” Kwan on ABC’s long-running hit drama series Grey's Anatomy. He can also be seen as a fan favorite character in A24’s Academy Award winning feature, Everything Everywhere All at Once. Beginning his career as a dancer, Shum’s passion for storytelling utilizes his various backgrounds in specialized movement, dance and acting which has collectively forged a path to produce projects from a perspective that challenges the norm.
Shelby Rabara is a Filipina-American actor, dancer, and writer from Orange County, California. She is best known for voicing the lovable Peridot in Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. Shelby’s passion for dance started at the young age of four, and her love for it continued well into her professional life. Her stage credits include the national and international Glee tours, The Academy Awards, The Grammy Awards, The Country Music Awards, and Coachella. Shelby can also be seen dancing in the following television shows and films: Glee, Seventeen Again, Step Up 3d, and The LXD, to name a few. In her spare time, Shelby loves cooking, browsing international farmers markets, frolicking on the beach, and epic dance parties with her husband and daughter.
