Artists who changed entertainment

This compilation profiles more than 50 celebrities who broke new ground by being the first to achieve an honor or represent a previously marginalized presence in the entertainment industry. Most of these events occurred during the past 50 years. More than half of these pioneers are women; there is strong representation from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and neurodivergent populations. More than 20 professions are included, ranging from artists and comedians to dancers and magicians to screenwriters and puppeteers. The entries are arranged alphabetically, with each luminary covered in a one-page, five- or six-paragraph career overview facing a full-page illustration. Their stories concentrate on career highlights and include sufficient context to justify why each person is noteworthy, often citing examples of grit and determination in the face of adversity. The entries are laudatory and squeaky clean; there's scant mention of scandal or controversy. Helpful support material includes time lines and references for further research, plus a celebrity-by-occupation index. This will be of great interest to kids and adults looking for performing role models.

Profiles of over 50 performers, artists, and innovators who broke barriers or beat the odds to succeed. Showing a canny sense of what young readers might really be looking for in role model material, the authors salute Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift, for instance, as much for the eye-watering amounts of money they make as for their spectacular onstage and on-camera brilliance. Readers may not recognize all the selected subjects, but Buckley and Labrecque offer a laudably inclusive view. They spotlight artists who have shifted the entertainment landscape, among them the first Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winners or nominees identified as Muslim, Black, transgender, Asian, Asian American, Latino, deaf, gay, or Native American, as well as other performers living with disabilities such as cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. The range of endeavors is also very broad, going beyond acting and singing to encompass fields from cinematography to writing and video game design, as well as sculpture (Edmonia Lewis) and illustration (Jerry Pinkney). "The future of entertainment is bright," the authors write. "It will only get brighter if more diverse performers are given the opportunity to shine their light." Specific biographical information in the alphabetically arranged entries tends to be thin, but both the entries and Walthall's portraits of sturdy, smiling figures exuding confidence offer inspiration galore. A populous gallery, broadly diverse and brimming with talent. (timelines, index by field, further reading)(Collective biography. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.