Dance (Primary)

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Luciano Lozano. Presented by the American Ballet Theatre. Seven boys (four with brown skin, three with light skin) participate in a dance class as a rhyming text comments on the dancers' athleticism and skill: "Training hard, you'll break a sweat / while you rehearse your pirouette." The class practices various positions and movements; posters in the studio feature male dance stars for inspiration. The dynamic illustrations emphasize the dancers' joy in movement and show that dance transcends gender. Eight male dancers from the ABT are profiled on the final two spreads.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rachael Dean. Presented by the American Ballet Theatre. "E's for épaulement, which makes a simple stance impressive. / Just turn your head and shoulders, and a pose is more expressive." Each letter of the alphabet inspires a rhyming couplet highlighting a dancer (Copeland), dance (The Nutcracker), pose (jeté), or other related subject (leotard, orchestra). Some examples may be obscure (e.g., "T's for Mr. Tudor's work..." refers to choreographer Antony Tudor); thankfully, the back matter provides information about the wide variety of ballets, choreographers, and dancers mentioned or featured in the color-rich accessible illustrations. Balletomanes will enjoy losing themselves in this picture book.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Follow four boys as they rehearse for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico's multi-school literature-themed recital. Ancona shows the joy, as well as the hard work, discipline, and strength of this art form. Large color photos of the boys at practice and in costume closely follow the brief, factual narrative. A great (and refreshing) introductory photo-essay about male dancers.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Darnell Johnson. Kai Donovan, an African American boy whose family members can all dance, feels he doesn't belong because he just can't. The last time he tried the Electric Slide, he knocked his little cousin over. Granddad has given each of Kai's siblings a dance-related nickname--D.J. Groove, Miss Boogie, and Baby Bounce--but so far, Kai has none. When a wedding invitation arrives from his aunt, Kai worries, knowing the Electric Slide will surely happen at the reception. He asks one of his sisters for lessons and practices diligently. On the wedding day, Kai surprises his whole family--and Granddad finally gives him the perfect nickname. Johnson's colorful cartoon illustrations convey the family's verve and exuberance as effectively as they do Kai's worry and concern. Baptist's conversational text gives each character a distinct personality. This uplifting story of one kid's struggle to fit in with his own family will resonate with readers who have similar insecurities. And the centrality of the Electric Slide might prompt readers to turn on the tunes and get their own groove on.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Kate Berube. Barnett and Berube offer a sensitive story about a boy grappling with stage fright and insecurity. The main character, John, walks into the narrative on the front endpaper carrying a duffle bag, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. A page-turn welcomes readers into a busy school auditorium where breakfast is ending and children are beginning to sit in front of a stage. An unnamed narrator explains the school's weekly Sharing Gifts assembly and notes John's anxiety: "He was quiet at breakfast. We knew why." Barnett's use of "we" builds a sense of intimacy, reinforced by Berube's warm ink and paint illustrations depicting students with many different skin tones, hair types and textures, and affects. The pace slows and suspense builds over a number of pages that show John suiting up in his ballet leotard and contemplating what he is about to face. A double-page spread puts readers onstage with the boy looking out at students who are distracted and whispering. Then Berube's illustrations burst into motion in a series of wordless spreads as John begins dancing. He's absorbed in his joy, and his classmates--and readers--become as enraptured as he is. Barnett and Berube bring mastery of craft as well as an understanding of human nature to offer a fresh take on a familiar theme.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Charting the life and career of dancer Robert Battle, current artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, this especially thorough account relates its subject's childhood inspirations and the intense training required by the art. In the "tradition" of depicting dance with pastels, Ransome's art adds heart and vibrancy to the narrative. A foreword by Robert Battle is included. Reading list, website. Bib.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Christopher Myers. In an imagined dialogue, American Ballet Theatre soloist Copeland reassures a disheartened African American ballet student that she also had self-doubts: "darling child, don't you know / you're just where I started." Richly hued collages make the dancers on stage seem to fly. An author's note says that Copeland never saw herself in ballet books; this book encourages aspiring dancers of all colors.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. A young African American girl longs to be a ballerina, but in the segregated 1950s, she doubts her dream is possible. Seeing ballerina Janet Collins--the first African American to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera--gives the girl hope for her own future as a dancer. Soft mixed-media paintings, capturing the girl's joy, optimism, and dedication, accompany the spare, lyrical text.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(2) K-3 Andy & Sandy series. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. In this fourth installment, Sandy proposes the friends dance together in a talent show; Andy just has to follow her lead. But when the curtain goes up, Sandy freezes, and it's Andy's turn to lead. Simple page layouts, with few words and easy-to-interpret illustrations, make the text accessible to beginning readers. Andy and Sandy are perfect fictional buddies to encourage youngsters to try new things.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(3) K-3 Based on the New York City Ballet production choreographed by Peter Martins, after Marius Petipa and George Balanchine. This picture book of the familiar "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale adds a few details unique to the ballet, such as the famous fairy-tale characters that attend Aurora's wedding. Docampo's illustrations take center stage as her whimsically elongated figures capture the unearthly grace of ballet dancers.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Olivia deduces from eavesdropping that her parents mean to send her to prison. She's relieved, then excited, to learn that the "institution" in question is actually the ballet. Being Olivia, she finds a way to get into more trouble once at the theater. Counterpoint between the dialogue-filled text and expressive mixed-media illustrations makes for a very funny (if just slightly message-y) story.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Fearing. Tommy can't stop bopping and bouncing around the house, exhausting his family members, who take turns "tiring Tommy out" (e.g., "mow the lawn--twice"). Despite his reluctance to try tap dancing, Tommy finds that the moves are perfectly suited to his energy. Exaggerated cartoons humorously capture Tommy's happy feet (and exasperated family), while the active-language text matches Tommy's constant motion.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) PS Illustrated by Jami Gigot. Presented by the American Ballet Theatre. "When I grow up, I'm going to fly, just like my daddy." Ben's classmates try to guess Daddy's occupation as Ben provides more information: "he's super strong," he's "as fast as a hummingbird... / ...but slower than a sloth." Is he a pilot? A football player? A furniture mover? After an impromptu dance performance, his friends know: "Your daddy is a ballet dancer!" The all-dialogue text stays in the classroom, while Gigot's versatile illustrations move seamlessly from Ben and his friends to Ben's father on stage to Ben and Daddy together. Principal dancer for ABT, Forster offers positive messages about dance and fatherhood.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Why should ballet-loving Pearl go to preschool when she already spends every day at her mom's dance school? When Mom points out that Pearl can learn different things at preschool, such as the alphabet and counting, Pearl's not convinced: "'I know how to count,' I say. 'First position! Second position! Third position!'" Their conversation continues as they head home from the dance studio, attend a performance of The Nutcracker, and share a ballet story before bed. Before she falls asleep, Pearl tells her ballerina mouse toy, Violet, everything she knows about preschool, and "Violet" decides preschool sounds okay after all. The next day, Pearl (with Violet in tow) gives preschool a try; she has a blast making new friends, finger-painting, playing dress-up, and making music. Pearl infuses her love of ballet into each of these activities, and when Mom later asks about Pearl's favorite part of the day, the answer, naturally, is "dancing!" Told primarily in simple dialogue between mother and daughter, this gentle story presents starting preschool as a new but not altogether unfamiliar or frightening experience. Digital illustrations in a line-and-watercolor-wash style with a soft palette portray Pearl in nearly perpetual motion among diverse classmates at both schools and are full of ballet-themed details to appreciate.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) PS This follow-up to Mad, Mad Bear! shows the ups, downs, and all the emotions in between as we watch Bear attend dance class for the first time. Bear has new leggings, new slippers, and a new pink tutu, all of which make our protagonist very, very glad. He warms up at home, smiling in the mirror, and leaping out the front door with a "WHEEEE!" When Bear arrives at the dance studio, his excitement turns to hesitation, and soon Bear is much less sure of himself. He looks around the room at the other dancers (all bears of different shades), and feels like he doesn't fit in. Is it because he traded his dance slippers for cowboy boots? Is it because he's wearing his pink tutu over his leggings, unlike the other (assumed) boy bear in the class? Whatever it is, all of Bear's fears melt away as the music starts and that good feeling returns. Gee's soft, cheery illustrations (rendered in black Prismacolor and colored digitally) and simple text make this an excellent choice for discussing the worry young children may experience when trying something new. Preschool audiences will relate to Bear, while also enjoying the visual treats the illustrations have to offer.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. Instead of wearing heavy iron braces for her weak legs, the doctor lets young Lily Marks take dance lessons to strengthen them. Thus begins the ascent of the first Jewish prima ballerina assoluta, later known as Alicia Markova. Goddu tells the true story with elegant simplicity; an afterword offers more straightforward biography. Kawa's ornately detailed, stylized illustrations capture the wonder and magic of ballet.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(2) K-3 Ada is cranky because going to stupid ballet class is "not her thing." Her sorry attempt at a pirouette sends her straight into Mr. Chop, who teaches karate and likes her style. The writing throughout is note-perfect, featuring omniscient narration used to droll effect. Gravel doesn't squander words, the book design doesn't waste space, and she plants humor in every illustration.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Brian Floca. After choreographer Martha Graham asked composer Aaron Copland and sculptor/set designer Isamu Noguchi to collaborate with her on a new ballet, the iconic Appalachian Spring was born. Using spare, concise sentences, the authors echo Graham's approach to dance: nothing's wasted, and in such exactness lies beauty. Floca's fluid, energetic line and watercolor illustrations also reflect the plain boldness of Graham's choreography. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(2) PS Many skin tones, body types, and dance styles boogie through this warm, funny book. Amidst the joyful movin' and groovin', one child answers the titular query with "I don't." Friendly direct-address text suggests how to, reasons to, and locations where to dance, but the protagonist still declines. Loose, dynamic illustrations make excellent use of white space as well as action-packed full-bleed spreads. When the circumstances are right...the protagonist does finally bust a move.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 Young dancer Lena is worried about whether she'll be able to meet her recital's requirement of white ballet slippers: "At home, money was tight..." Happily, the night before the recital, Lena finds an ingenious solution. An understated text focuses on Lena's joy in dance and the anxiety of her predicament. Unfussy ink, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations use a variety of perspectives to further communicate Lena's emotions.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Catherine Stock. In the tradition of Philharmonic Gets Dressed, ballerina Kent takes readers through the twelve hours before showtime. Iris attends company class, a costume fitting, and rehearsals, squeezing in meals, socializing, and a nap in between. At book's end, the curtain lifts, and "The magic begins." Simple text and energetic, loose-lined pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations convey the stresses and pleasures of Iris's busy day.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Sophie the swan tries to join a class of young ballet dancers but is shooed away. Later, a more open-minded teacher welcomes her to class; eventually Sophie earns a part in Swan Lake. McCully captures Sophie's yearning to dance in ballerina Kent's satisfying success story. Readers will appreciate the tale's acknowledgment that while some things come easily to Sophie, others do not.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When the little girl narrator visits her grandmother, a former prima ballerina whom she calls "Grand Jeté," dance infuses their ordinary moments ("we arabesque our plates and lunge for the milk"). Preparing for and attending The Nutcracker together, of course, is an extra-special occasion. Kent's text goes through the ballet's story line in a useful introduction for first-time attendees and gives a sense throughout of the warm relationship between doting grandmother and admiring grandchild. Glasser's merry illustrations include lots of dancing across the page, as well as moments of rapt spectatorship against the more lavish scenes of the ballet itself. An author's note explains Kent's own experience dancing in Balanchine's Nutcracker, and a glossary defines ballet terms.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Keith Mallett. Ballet brings Black boy joy to life in full color. An exuberant brown-skinned boy with an impressive flat-top haircut, Langston enjoys basketball but loves ballet. When he and his mother attend an Alvin Ailey dance performance, Langston is riveted. A Black male dancer performs a grand jeté so high that he breaks through the frame of the illustration. Heading to his very first ballet lesson, Langston dances for everyone he meets (captured in a joyous double-page spread showing him leaping and twirling through a series of vignettes) but falters briefly when an older kid tells him, "Boys don't dance like that." At Ms. Marie's dance studio, Langston passes co-ed classes of kids learning hip-hop, African dance, and tap on his way to his ballet class, which consists only of girls wearing pastel tutus and white ballet slippers. He joins in and emulates Ms. Marie's movements in his sneakers until she uncovers a pair of black ballet slippers that she says he must work hard to earn. He eagerly agrees, and the final illustrations suggest that he delivers on his promise. Langston's red basketball jersey and shorts stand out visually and reflect the character's bold approach to ballet. The illustrations also counter stereotypes and invite children from every background to enjoy dance.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. Horse loves to dance, even without music; Buggy, a small bug, does not. But when Horse challenges Buggy to dance and then pumps some tunes ("What a fun song!"), Buggy and Horse boogie down until Horse tires out. Horse and Buggy's back-and-forth dialogue is simple and funny, as are the cartoon illustrations, which depict Horse doing the tango, the Charleston, the robot, and more on brightly colored backgrounds.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mandy Sutcliffe. Miss Amy's ballet class is excited to put on a show. The youngest, Rosa, is disappointed when she is cast as a glowworm instead of a butterfly but soon realizes her role is important after all. Friendship and collaboration steal the show as the students help one another with dance steps, costumes, and self-esteem. Sutcliffe's warm illustrations realistically capture the movements of young dancers.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) PS Illustrated by Alea Marley. Young Téo loves to dance. At home, he dances the cumbia and the bhangra with Papí and Amma. In ballet class (where he wears a tutu "because it's pretty"), "he couldn't wait to perform onstage, under the lights in a fancy costume, before a real audience!" When it's time to choose a costume, he's drawn to a skirted leotard that "reminded him of...peonies" but feels pressure to pick the silver shirt and black pants. Macias's gentle story features a winning gender-nonconforming, biracial protagonist and his supportive adults (parents, teacher); Marley's lively illustrations acknowledge Téo's nervousness about being judged and celebrate his joy and bravery when he's true to himself.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) PS McClintock follows young Emma as she goes to her ballet lesson and professional dancer Julia as she attends company class and rehearsals, pointing out similarities in their days ("Both teachers make them work very, very hard"). A lively mix of page layouts keeps the pattern fresh--as do several differences between the characters. This is an engaging and matter-of-factly diverse (Julia is African American) behind-the-curtain look at a ballet dancer's life.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(3) K-3 Duck Mr. Quackers is skeptical about cow Moo Moo's ambition to become a ballerina. After a brief rehearsal ("It's okay. I'm a quick learner"), the odd-couple friends head to the theater for her (unauthorized and disastrous) onstage debut. With speech bubbles and sound-effects text, bright cartoon-style illustrations, and dynamic panels, this funny comics-influenced picture book will be a hit with Mo Willems fans.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) PS Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. It's bedtime, but Lollie is too busy dancing hip-hop to go to sleep just yet. Montanari's rhythmic rhyming prose ("Arms cranking / Body swanking / Hip gyration / Exultation!") follows Lollie's exuberant bedtime routine, from teeth brushing to putting on pajamas. Pinkney's festive, swirl-heavy watercolor and ink illustrations enhance this energetic story, which--despite all odds--does end in sleep.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alea Marley. Cast in the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker, young Charlotte (the first Black Marie in the company's history) shares the holiday spirit with audiences for the entire season, then enjoys Christmas with her family: making Trinidadian pastelles, searching for the pickle ornament on the tree, and smashing a peppermint pig. Author Nebres, who danced Marie in 2019 when she was just eleven, writes a spare but sensory-rich narrative that emphasizes inclusion, representation, and the amount of work it took to realize her dream. Marley's inviting cartoon illustrations in soft pastel colors play with light and create a cozy holiday atmosphere.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. A young vampire begins dance lessons (at night), works hard, perseveres through doubts and missteps, and eventually makes a successful debut performance. Aside from a few vampire-student-specific tips (watch the fangs; don't trip on your cape), Pace's encouraging text reads like an advice book for any young dancer. Pham's illustrations steal the show, offering plenty of visual jokes for both vampire fans and balletomanes.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(2) K-3 In this rhyming second-person text, a girl with light-brown skin, exuberant red curls, and spindly limbs arrives for a ballet audition. Struck by a case of last-minute nerves, she gets a pep talk from an unexpected advocate--her shadow. In vibrant, digitally assembled sumi ink, gouache, and watercolor collages, the pair twirls and leaps in a lively duet through Manhattan's streets before returning for the audition.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. In 1948 at New York City's ­Palladium Ballroom a new dance craze--the mambo--was born. Robbins (­Margaret and the Moon) and Velasquez (Octopus Stew, rev. 1/20) team up to tell the story of Latin jazz, dance halls, and some of mambo's brightest stars. We open on the streets of New York with an introduction to dancers Millie Donay ("in her Italian neighborhood") and Pedro Aguilar ("in his Puerto Rican neighborhood") in action, their dance moves exploding off the pages in energetic, realistic oils. What follows is an overview of the segregated status quo of 1940s New York ("Black people danced in Black places. Jews danced in Jewish places"), before the focus lands on the Palladium Ballroom and its ­open-door policy that allowed people of all backgrounds to enjoy the sounds of Latin jazz band Machito and His Afro-Cubans. Meeting there for the first time, Aguilar and Donay would together smash through society's barriers while becoming the best mambo dance team in the country. In Robbins and Velasquez's hands, this early challenge to segregation makes for a lively, compelling piece of history. Back matter includes an author's note with further information about the 1940s, Latin jazz, and mambo--and some of the musicians and dancers that made them famous.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 In this exuberant rhyming text, numerous rabbits gather to dance, sing, and play instruments: "Nobody is watching. / Now's the perfect chance. / Ready bunny, steady bunny, / Everybunny dance." Readers will spot a shadowy figure approaching from the edges of the lively illustrations; panic ensues when a fox reveals itself, but the rabbits soon discover the newcomer only wants to join the revels.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Busy ballet dancer Ruby Rose is back (Ruby Rose on Her Toes), and this time she and (teddy-bear) dance partner Bearishnikov are putting on a recital in the house. Will the rain keep their audience away? The alliterative language incorporates lots of ballet lingo and speeds the story along at Ruby Rose's active pace; Ohi's digital illustrations capture the girl's dancerly spirit.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Theodore III Taylor. Following a foreword by ballerina Misty Copeland, Schubert gracefully tells the story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American ballet dancer to tour with a major company. From 1955–62, Wilkinson danced for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo but faced prejudice whenever they traveled south. Heavy lines and shadows in the illustrations reinforce how injustice can weigh down even ethereal art such as ballet. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(2) K-3 Ballet Cat only wants to dance, but long-suffering pony Sparkles reluctantly admits, "Sometimes I don't want to play ballet!" Initially gobsmacked, Ballet Cat bounces back with her own secret, but it's a welcome one, leading to a satisfying ending. Shea's first easy reader has an economy of both words and art, and it's funny to boot. The exuberant art is deceptively simple.

Reviewer: Sam Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. "Ballet girl" Tallulah loves dance camp...except for tap class, where she's frustrated and self-conscious about being "the worst student." Then fellow camper Kacie--whose tap skills Tallulah envies--admits her similar struggles in ballet class. Soft watercolor illustrations ably capture the woodland setting, the various dance movements, and both girls' heightened emotions in this relatable tale of learning new things.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu. Jenna, who lives in a suburban Oklahoma neighborhood, is of Muscogee and Ojibway descent. She borrows jingles--metal cones--from four important women in her life, so that her jingle dress will have its own voice for her first powwow dance. Dance regalia and modern-day life are ably depicted in fluid watercolors. The text's folkloric style is sometimes at odds with the contemporary story. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. This lyrical introduction follows ballet great Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) through her training; her roles, particularly her iconic Dying Swan; her growing fame; and her determination to make ballet accessible to everyone. Delicate mixed-media illustrations perfectly suit Anna's grace, capturing her expressiveness with abstracted swan imagery. An author's note provides more straightforward biographical information and highlights Pavlova's legacy as an artist of the people. Bib.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(3) K-3 Watching a hoedown, Peddles--whose "big ideas" are dismissed by the other pigs--is inspired to dance. The red cowboy boots he finds don't impart skill, but his repeated efforts inspire the other pigs to help. Sitting amid generous white space, gently detailed watercolor and pencil vignettes of Peddles's ideas, both imagined and attempted, adds heart and humor to this different-thinking pig's story.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Photographs by James Estrin. Five little girls who have cerebral palsy or other muscle disorders make their dream of being ballerinas come true. Straightforward text chronicles physical therapist Joann Ferrara's ballet class, culminating in a dance recital. Photographs of the girls in costume, set against pink backgrounds, show their joy as they experience the glitter and glamour of ballet while also improving physically.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(2) K-3 Amalia Hernández (1917–2000) traveled throughout Mexico learning about regions' unique histories and traditions in order to incorporate them into dance; in 1952, she founded Mexico's most famous dance company, El Ballet Folklórico de México, which still performs today. Tonatiuh's illustration style, inspired by Mixtec art and with well-chosen photo-collage elements, is particularly resonant with a subject who celebrated Mexican arts and culture. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) K-3 A little white bunny with bright red cheeks gets up the courage to investigate a building "filled with beautiful music" that glows against the green forest. Peeking in, she sees a long yellow studio with nine girls in white leotards dancing and realizes, "I want to dance, too." She knocks on the door, and without the bunny speaking, the students and teacher understand that she wants to learn ballet. She joins the girls, and using a stack of books instead of the too-high barre, she begins learning the steps. In a set of small pictures, she demonstrates ballet positions; her body looks graceful in some, and more awkward in others. It culminates in a grand jeté, as she springs high into the air using her rabbit legs. A crowd of her bunny friends, in shades of brown and gray, want to join, too, and the picture of the bunnies interposed with the human girls is sweetly comical. It all ends in a bunny recital in the woods, where they make their own costumes and are joined by the humans in a scene reminiscent of Giselle. It's an old-fashioned, Eurocentric take on ballet, with everyone in tutus and pink pointe shoes, but ballet fans will enjoy the graceful poses, the fairy tale–pretty woods, and the kindliness of the dancers willing to include bunnies in their love for dance.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gloria Félix. Dancer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) grew up in Cuba, where she attended the island's sole, poorly funded ballet school. In 1937 she moved to New York to study at the American Ballet Theatre and was well on her way to becoming a prima ballerina when she began to lose her eyesight. In a well-paced narrative, Viña emphasizes Alonso's resilience and determination--as she contends with a new country and language and later as she recovers from eye surgeries, reenters the dance world, learns to dance with impaired vision, and eventually returns to Cuba to teach. Félix's cartoon-style illustrations focus on movement and emotion. An author's note and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Elephant & Piggie Book series. Elephant Gerald intones, "Elephants cannot dance." But as it turns out, elephants can try to dance. Even though Gerald can't keep up with Piggie, he has a few (unwitting) moves of his own. Color-coded speech bubbles focus readers' attention on the simple words and expressive illustrations. The easily understood story will provide instant reading success and lots of laughs.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(3) K-3 Enthusiastic new student Tanya--who happens to be an alligator--joins Mrs. Iraina's ballet class. After her show-stopping debut in the original ballet The Legend of the Swamp Queen, Tanya invites her classmates to a special encore performance. Spare text and illustrations starring a surprisingly endearing alligator make for a sweet, funny celebration of inclusiveness and dedication to dance.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher