Filled with heart, courage, and hope, Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess—These Shoes Are Made for Dancing reminds young readers that even when the world tries to hold you back, believing in yourself can help you keep moving forward, one brave step at a time.
Age Range: 4-11 years
Publication Date: June 28, 2021
Page Count: 46
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess – These Shoes Were Made For Dancing (Book 4)
Paperback
$11.95
Description
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess — These Shoes Are Made for Dancing is the fourth book in the five-book #OWNVOICES series that follows the inspiring journey of a determined little girl with a big love for musical theatre.
Kayla has always believed in her dreams. But in These Shoes Are Made for Dancing, she begins to face something new—feelings of self-doubt and the sting of unfair treatment that make her question where she belongs. As she navigates moments of loss and racial discrimination, Kayla must learn how to hold onto the truth of who she is and what she loves.
With the steady support of her family and the strength growing inside her, she discovers that the path to your dreams isn’t always easy, but it is always worth fighting for. Step by step, Kayla learns that her voice, her talent, and her identity are all part of what make her shine.
Inspired by the real-life journey of the author’s daughter, Broadway actress Kayla Pecchioni, the Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess series celebrates perseverance, cultural pride, and the power of family support.
Author Deedee Cummings
Deedee Cummings is a professional dreamer. She is also an author, therapist, attorney, and mom from Louisville, Kentucky. Cummings founded Make A Way Media in 2014 after struggling to find books with characters who looked like her own children and an extreme lack of stories that reflected their life experiences. Books published by Make A Way focus on hope, diversity, social justice, and therapeutic skills for children and adults. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Forbes, NPR, USA Today, Essence Magazine, Psych Central, well+Good, and The EveryGirl, among other media outlets. In 2021, she was appointed to the Kentucky Early Childhood Advisory Council by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and reappointed to a second term in 2025, acknowledging her decades-long service to the children and families of Kentucky. Cummings is also the founder of The Louisville Book Festival. She was inspired to work to highlight and celebrate a culture of reading in her community after working as an in-home therapist and visiting homes of children who had no books. Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. Her work highlights inspiring messages that remind us all it is never too late to begin again.
Illustrator Charlene Mosley
Charlene is a German-American fine artist and illustrator based in San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Art from San Diego State University. She has traveled worldwide to create art and to immerse herself into different cultures. Charlene has illustrated various award-winning children’s books and other literary works. Creating illustrations for children’s books has been one of the artist’s favorite things to do. Every time she reads a new manuscript, it gives her imagination the freedom to embark on another colorful journey of exploration and discovery. Besides being an illustrator, Charlene is also a muralist and fine artist.
Reviews:
Kayla does it again! Great inspirational book.
I always love reading about Kayla’s next adventure. It is always full of positivity and also has a good lesson to learn not only for kids, but also for adults. This is a great inspirational book to never give up on your dreams. It also reminds you when one door closes another one opens and it can always be better than what you have ever dreamed of! It’s full of positivity, understanding and never giving up. Great book!
Kayla series teaches how to deal with adversity!
I love this series to teach kids how to overcome adversity, a life skill not just for dancers but for all of us. Kayla is able to concretely model how she uses anchors to help her deal with life’s low moments. Deedee’s experience as a therapist really shines here; she uses this series to model for all readers how to reach for the stars by using dance as a vehicle but this can be applied to anything and anybody!
-Mia Wenjen
Beautiful story that teaches valuable lessons
This book has beautiful imagery & teaches valuable lessons that all children (and adults) can apply to daily life like holding on to things that keep you grounded, remembering that good days will come after tough days, and standing up for what is right, even when it can be difficult. I have enjoyed reading this series to my little ones!
Follow Your Dreams
This may be my favorite book in the series so far. I love the therapy talk that this series teaches to kids who need to know what coping skills are more than ever. A beautiful story, full of hope!
Kayla’s Shoes ARE Made for Dancing!
Kayla is definitely experiencing real-world situations in this story. The idea of creating anchors is a great concept because children are so visible and love tangible items! The stories of Kayla are gentle and sensitive to the reader but clear in their messages. I cannot wait for the next Kayla book. 🙂
Join the K Club for free social-emotional guides related to the books:
https://www.makeawaymedia.com/k-club/
