Me and Marta and the Magic Shoes is a love letter to dancers everywhere celebrating Alma's bright spirit, Marta's warmth, and a young dancer's determination. A must-read for children and the grown-ups who cheer them on."
- Steve Potfora, Rockettes Conductor
Radio City Music Hall
Author Jodi Glaser-Taub and illustrator Jerry Glaser invite children to step into the world of dance with Me and Marta and the Magic Shoes, a heartwarming new picture book for children ages 3-8. Drawn from Jodi's own experience in a Sunday salsa dance class, the story follows a young dancer and her friend Marta, as they discover that confidence and kindness are the real magic behind each step.
Through playful storytelling and vibrant illustrations, Me and Marta and the Magic Shoes encourages children to put on their own dancing shoes and embrace the joy of movement and self-expression. This uplifting book is a celebration of underdogs everywhere.
To be published on April 29 in honor of National Dance Day, Me and Marta and the Magic Shoes is perfect for children, families, classrooms, and dance studios looking to inspire the next generation of dreamers and performers.
Jodi Glaser-Taub is a proud Buffalo Bills fan who hails from Brooklyn, New York by way of Buffalo. She is a life-long singer, actor, writer, and educator who is passionate about everything and anything related to theater, dance, music, literacy, fashion, and fitness. Jodi jokes that her husband Andy and son Blake will always be her biggest fans and biggest critics. Me and Marta and the Magic Shoes is her first book, and she hopes to inspire children everywhere to feel just a little more comfortable stepping outside their comfort zone.
Whether it's creating a painting, sculpture, or assemblage, designing a piece of furniture, or executing a "floor canvas," Jerry Glaser has spent a lifetime involved in the arts. Therefore, it came as no surprise that when Jodi called him about illustrating her children's book, he jumped at the challenge. Besides, Jerry could never say "no" to his daughter. At the age of 82, he figured it may open a whole new career. Although for the last 24 years Jerry's main job has been "Poppy" to his three grandchildren, Blake, Ethan, and Lexi. Jerry lives with his wife Ellen in Buffalo, New York, and neither is afraid of the cold.
