A Very Young Series
Every now and again I come across an obscure book that I think should get more attention. Sometimes it's an older book that's out of print, or at least barely in print and has, perhaps, a cult following. Recently I discovered a children's book series titled "A Very Young..." that was prominent in the 1970s and early 1990s.
The series was written and photographed by Jill Krementz. She was a photojournalist who, along with her books aimed mainly at children, was in Vietnam photographing the war back in 1965. In addition she was married to the late author Kurt Vonnegut. This particular book series she worked on involved her following the children and their families and friends as they practiced their passions and hobbies while struggling to reach their goals, whether it be for an upcoming competition or a play.
The series began in the 1970s with titles such as "A Very Young Dancer," "A Very Young Gymnast," and "A Very Young Circus Flyer." In the first book the reader follows a young dancer in the School of American Ballet as she practices and goes about her day; ultimately she ends up getting the lead in "The Nutcracker." The second book follows a ten-year-old girl as she balances gymnastics and school, and along with regular competitions, she ends up going to Germany (West Germany to be precise) for an event. One of my personal favorites was the latter; the kid's family in the book all work and tour together with Ringling Brothers, and both of his parents had been practically raised in the circus as well. Throughout the book you see the boy practice with his family, along with being home schooled by a tutor. My favorite part of that book was near the end when the boy gives an autograph to a young Lynn Carter (this was published when her father Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States).
Jill Krementz returned to the book series again in the early 1990s. There were two main differences between the newer books and the originals. The photographs were now in color, having originally been in black and white, and the books themselves were a little slimmer. The now included titles such as "A Very Young Skier," "A Very Young Musician," "A Very Young Gardener," and my personal favorite from this era, "A Very Young Actress." The latter features a young girl as she gets the role of Annie, and prepares for he role on stage.
As far as I know this book series is out of print; I got most of these books through inter-library loans. If you yourself want to read them then either finding used copies online or through libraries would be the way to go. I think it would be great if it were brought back in new editions, and if there were epilogues about where these children are in life now. There are a few articles online featuring the fates of the interviewed and photographed children, including one about Stephanie DePierro, the subject of "A Very Young Dancer," who had to bittersweetly leave the world of ballet. Torrance York, the subject of "A Very Young Gymnast," eventually left gymnastics voluntarily to pursue other interests and now has a career in photography.
In addition to possibly republishing this series I think it would be interesting to continue it, whether or not it be with its originator Jill Krementz. I think it would be interesting to explore more possibilities; for example, perhaps follow a couple little children living in either Hawaii or California and come out with titles such as "A Very Young Surfer" or "A Very Young Hula Dancer." With this new digital age there could be titles including "A Very Young Podcaster," "A Very Young Coder," or even "A Very Young Blogger."
The series was written and photographed by Jill Krementz. She was a photojournalist who, along with her books aimed mainly at children, was in Vietnam photographing the war back in 1965. In addition she was married to the late author Kurt Vonnegut. This particular book series she worked on involved her following the children and their families and friends as they practiced their passions and hobbies while struggling to reach their goals, whether it be for an upcoming competition or a play.
The series began in the 1970s with titles such as "A Very Young Dancer," "A Very Young Gymnast," and "A Very Young Circus Flyer." In the first book the reader follows a young dancer in the School of American Ballet as she practices and goes about her day; ultimately she ends up getting the lead in "The Nutcracker." The second book follows a ten-year-old girl as she balances gymnastics and school, and along with regular competitions, she ends up going to Germany (West Germany to be precise) for an event. One of my personal favorites was the latter; the kid's family in the book all work and tour together with Ringling Brothers, and both of his parents had been practically raised in the circus as well. Throughout the book you see the boy practice with his family, along with being home schooled by a tutor. My favorite part of that book was near the end when the boy gives an autograph to a young Lynn Carter (this was published when her father Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States).
Jill Krementz returned to the book series again in the early 1990s. There were two main differences between the newer books and the originals. The photographs were now in color, having originally been in black and white, and the books themselves were a little slimmer. The now included titles such as "A Very Young Skier," "A Very Young Musician," "A Very Young Gardener," and my personal favorite from this era, "A Very Young Actress." The latter features a young girl as she gets the role of Annie, and prepares for he role on stage.
As far as I know this book series is out of print; I got most of these books through inter-library loans. If you yourself want to read them then either finding used copies online or through libraries would be the way to go. I think it would be great if it were brought back in new editions, and if there were epilogues about where these children are in life now. There are a few articles online featuring the fates of the interviewed and photographed children, including one about Stephanie DePierro, the subject of "A Very Young Dancer," who had to bittersweetly leave the world of ballet. Torrance York, the subject of "A Very Young Gymnast," eventually left gymnastics voluntarily to pursue other interests and now has a career in photography.
In addition to possibly republishing this series I think it would be interesting to continue it, whether or not it be with its originator Jill Krementz. I think it would be interesting to explore more possibilities; for example, perhaps follow a couple little children living in either Hawaii or California and come out with titles such as "A Very Young Surfer" or "A Very Young Hula Dancer." With this new digital age there could be titles including "A Very Young Podcaster," "A Very Young Coder," or even "A Very Young Blogger."
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