Angelina at the Palace

Text: Katherine Holabird

Illustrations: Helen Craig

Year: 2005

Publisher: Puffin Books, London

Age: 6 – 10 years

No. of Pages: 28

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 14138 126 4

Website: Angelina Ballerina

Miss Lilly has been assigned to teach a special dance for the three princesses of Mouseland. Angelina is thrilled when Miss Lilly asks for her help.

Things, however, don’t go as planned when a flu knocks out the tutor and Angelina has to step up to teach instead. And she does.

The princesses dance elegantly and put on a beautiful show.

The Angelina Ballerina series are a wonderful means to teach children significant life values like self-confidence, self-esteem, empathy, creative expression. Our girls love Angelina. :-)

Excerpt

Angelina could hardly believe her furry ears when Miss Lilly invited her on a special visit to the Royal Palace of Mouseland.

Beautiful Ballerinas

Text: Elizabeth Dombey

Illustration: Shelagh McNicholas

Year: 2014

Publisher: Grosset and Dunlap, New York

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 0 44846 714 6

My 4-year-old zoomed into this book at the library like a bee to a flower. She’s passionate about ballet, rather, her idea of ballet and ballerinas.

This book is a soft introduction to ballet for little girls, and combines cute illustrations with photographs. The book touches on basic positions; common terms and also devotes eight pages to the history and evolution of the art. 

It should keep your budding artist engaged for quite some time! :-)

Excerpt

Now on to the allegro (say: ah-LEG-roh) portion of class!

The music picks up and the dancers perform faster, livelier steps, such as turns and small jumps.

Then it’s time for grand allegro, which is a series of large jumps. 

Angelina Ice Skates

Author: Katherine Holabird

Illustrator: Helen Craig

Year: 1993

Publisher: Pleasant Company Publications, USA

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 26

Website: Angelina Ballerina

ISBN: 978 1 58485 660 2

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and little Angelina and her friends are busy with preparations for a special ice skating show. As the rehearsals get underway, they find that they have a problem. The hockey players want to use the frozen Miller’s Pond at the same time too!

After a series of interruptions and an all-out snowball fight, Angelina decides to invite the errant players to join the show. And voila! They have a great show to usher in the New Year.

This book reminded me of the story in the Playground Problem. :-) There is wisdom in these books.

By the way, did I mention that Angelina and her friends are, ummm… mice?

Excerpt

When Angelina danced into the spotlight that night, she felt like a real snow queen. Spike and Sammy did exciting leaps and jumps together, and Henry was thrilled to be the King’s attendant, while Felicity, Flora, and Alice seemed to fly across the ice like delicate snowflakes. 

The Nutcracker – Usborne Young Reading

Retold by Emma Helbrough

Illustrator:  Anna Luraschi

Year: 2004

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd., London

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 48

ISBN: 978 1 40951 820 4

It is delightful to see a classic packaged just right so children can enjoy it too! Thanks to the Usborne Young Reading series. 

Meet intrepid little Clara, who sneaks in to take a peek at her grandfather’s present even though it’s just Christmas Eve. That launches her into a series of fantastical adventures which includes a battle against some mean mice, a visit with the Ice Queen and a trip to the Land of Sweets where dancers from around the world perform for Clara.

The illustrations are enchanting enough to pique your child’s curiosity and spur her on a fantasy trip, not that kids need any help in that area. :-)

Excerpt

“Clara, this is the Sugarplum Fairy,” said the prince. “She rules over the Land of Sweets.”

“I hope you have a sweet tooth,” said the Sugarplum Fairy, with a smile.

She led them into a grand hall, where the tables were covered with chocolate cakes, cookies and candy swirls. 

Ballet Sisters – The Newest Dancer

Author and Illustrator: Jan Ormerod

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Scholastic, New York

Year: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-43982-282-4

Sisters make for such fun reading!

Little Sylvie watches her sister Bonnie at her ballet classes. It’s obvious she loves dancing as much as her big sister. 

Kindly Miss Trisha watches as Sylvie waddles, flaps and quacks at her ducky dance. Impressed, she arranges for the little one to have her very own dance lessons. 

Excerpt

Sylvie learns knee flaps, knee bends, and jump, jump, jump.

She learns pony trots and rag dolls, elephants and butterflies.

Then the girls curtsy and the boy bows.

Miss Amy says, “Well done, dancers. And well done to our newest dancer, Sylvie.”

Hernando Fandango – The Great Dancing Dog

Author and Illustrator: Rachel Swirles

Year: 2012

Publisher: Meadowside Children’s Books, London

Age: 7 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN: 978 1 84539 600 8

It was bound to happen sooner than later – a book for little ones set in the backdrop of a reality show. A dance show at that too!

Meet Hernando Fandango and Miss Adelaide Mogg who love dancing. Jazz, Ballroom dancing, Tap, Ballet – you name it, they do it. 

By a twist of fate, they get a chance to perform on television and enthrall the nation.

Yes, a bit far-fetched, I know, but then, isn’t that true for almost every book for tiny tots? :-)

Again, the story is set out in lyrical form so there are a few new words like kerfuffle, sensation but that's not a reason to ignore this book.

Excerpt

The host shouted out, “Do we have any dancers?”

Adelaide knew this was the rarest of chances.

She longed to cry out,

But she wasn’t that brave,

And already a figure had taken the stage!

Can you guess who it was,

Who could waltz, jive and tango…?

Ballet Kitty

Text: Bernette Ford

Illustrator: Sam Williams

Year: 2007

Publisher: Boxer Books, Great Britain 

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages:  32

ISBN: 978 1 90541 771 1

This book ought to satisfy any little girl with its ballet and ballerina themed tale. :-)

Meet Kitty, a happy little, well, kitten, whose best friend Pussycat is coming to play. She puts on her ballet outfit except for her ballet slippers. They’re nowhere to be found! Kitty begins to feel a little grumpy. A tear drop rolls down her face too. She does pull on her trainers, though and has a fantastic day with her friend.

At the end of the day, when she’s beaming with happiness, she finds her ballet slippers, just where she’d put them away, the night before. Ooops!

I read this book more than a couple of times for my kids so they’d get the message. Hint! Hint! :-)

Excerpt

Then Ballet Kitty kicked off her trainers. She showed Princess Pussycat her best pirouettes, her perfect plies and her cutest curtsies.

Princess Pussycat tried a pirouette too. It wasn’t as pretty as Ballet Kitty’s. But that didn’t matter. 

Little Pink Ballerina

Author: Ronne Randall

Illustrator: Helena Owen

Year: 1997

Publisher: Ladybird Books, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 28

ISBN: 978 0 72141 923 2

Little Pink Ballerina packages most little girls' dream to be a ballerina in a charming story of grit, determination and hard work. 

Madame Plie is about to host a special performance of the Fairy Princess Ballet. She announces that the most graceful ballerina will dance the lead part of the Star Fairy Princess.

All the little ballerinas work hard and manage to “whirl, twirl, leap” except for the Pink Ballerina. Her moves are limited to “whirl, twirl, thump!”.

After hours of practice, she’s inspired by Madame Plie’s words: A fairy princess must be graceful as a feather floating through the air…”. 

Yes, the story has a fairy-tale ending and I won’t ruin it for you. :-)

Other books in this series:

• Little Yellow Digger, Review here
• Little Red Car
• Brave Little Train
• Little Blue Tractor
• Big Little Bus
• Noisy Little Truck
• Forgetful Little Fireman
• Busy Little Postman
• Daisy Little Dancer
• Brilliant Little Elephant
• Bold Little Tiger

Excerpt

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flutter down from the cherry tree.

It was a slender, silvery-white feather. The Pink Ballerina watched as it drifted gracefully through the air. And she remembered Madame Plie’s words…

Flying Feet – A mud flat story

By James Stevenson

Year: 2004

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 48

ISBN: 978-0-06051-976-2

It’s a tough world out there but you don’t give up, ever. That has to be the most poignant message to come from this story. 

The residents of Mud Flats are bowled over when the dazzling team of Ted and Tonya arrive to put on a dance show. There are auditions and rehearsals with money pouring into the dancing team’s pockets.

Sadly, the animals of Mud Flat discover that Ted and Tonya were just out for their money when they sneak off into the night before the show.

The story, happily, doesn’t end there. And that, makes this a story of hope, kindness and neighborliness.

Excerpt

There was a big crowd in front of the post office.

Stan climbed on top of Neddy to get a better view.

“Oh wow!” said Stan.

Two dancers in fancy clothes were tap-dancing on the back of a van. Their feet moved so fast that Stan could hardly see them.

The crowd clapped.