Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Katy Duck
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Board Book
For ages 3 to 5
Simon and Schuster, 2007 ISBN: 978-1416919018
Katy Duck loves to dance. In fact she loves to dance so much that she dances everywhere she goes, even in the rain and the snow. Then one day Katy's mother tells her that she has arranged for Katy to have dancing lessons; Katy is going to be a student at Mr. Tutu's School of Dance. Katy is not pleased. After all, she already knows how to dance, and she even does a little dance to prove to her mother how proficient she already is as a dancer. Of course, this does not stop her mother from taking Katy to the dance school.
When they arrive at the dance school Katy sees a lot of other little dancers doing all the things that she can do, and Katy refuses to dance. Katy cannot dance at all because she is rooted to the spot. Even when Mr. Tutu invites her to join the other little butterflies, Katy does not dance.
Then some music begins to play and Katy cannot help herself. Her inner dancer will not let her stay still. Katy is able to overcome her stage fright and she is off "dancing like a butterfly."
In this thoroughly charming board book young readers will get to meet a little duck who briefly suffers from a very familiar problem; stage fright. Having to perform in a room full of strangers is never easy at the best of times, especially when you are very young. Thankfully, when you have the dancing bug, even stage fright can't keep you down for long.
Delightful illustrations, a lovable main character, and a story that every child can identify with makes this a book that will surely become a favorite.
