Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Little Ballerina
Illustrator: Patricia MacCarthy
Novelty Book
For ages 6 to 8
Scholastic, 2005 ISBN: 0439830788
Rosie loves her ballet lessons. She looks forward to them every week and yet there is a problem. Poor Rosie is terribly clumsy. She is always falling over and making a fool of herself and as she looks at her posters of famous ballerinas she cannot help wondering if she will ever be like the dancers she admires so much.
Then one day, after a particularly clumsy lesson Rosie is given an envelope. In it there is an invitation for all the students in Rosie’s class to audition for a part in “The Nutcracker.” Alas for poor Rosie. Even though she practices hard all week, on the day itself she has a big fall during her audition and she does not get the lead part that she wants. Instead she gets the part of one of the mice.
Rosie does her best to play her part well but she still falls over her feet all the time. In desperation she writes to the Sugar Plum Fairy to ask to advice. “How can I be more graceful?” she asks. To her delight Rosie gets a reply and it helps her enormously. If only she had been given the part of Clara.
Simply written and with an obvious appreciation for a young dancer’s concerns and worries, this charming little story with its little envelopes to open and mini book to read will delight little ballet dancers. The story will remind readers that it very important that they believe in themselves, no matter what.
At the end of the story readers will open the last envelop to discover that there is a little gift inside for them.
