Ballerina!

We first checked this book out from the library and now we're buying it because my 3 year old is in love with it. Every page features a different ballerina dressed in a colorful costume (i.e. Swan Lake, Cinderella) and in a different position (i.e. tiptoe, dip, leap). My daughter loves to imitate these postures and gets great pride from being just like the ballerinas on the pages of the book. Very cute and simple, not very wordy, it has nice illustrations (that are fun to dance along with). If you're working on colors, it would also be helpful since each page has a color theme.

We've really enjoyed Peter Sis' book Madlenka, so when my young daughter became a "ballerina" getting this book was a natural. The illustrations are simple and yet so imaginative. This book truly inspires a young imagination. My daughter now dances in front of her mirror -- as the young ballerina in the book does. And thanks to this book my 3-year-old knows about classic ballets such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake! We have several ballet themed kid books and this one is by far the best.

Caution: extra energy required. Don't just sit and read this book to your child - perform it with her! My daughters and I love to "leap" and "twirl" and "dip" and "flutter" along with the main character, Terry. This is the perfect book for aspiring ballerinas. In fact, any child who loves music, loves to dance will love Ballerina! Peter Sis, illustrator of many children's books, has portrayed Terry in bold black and white strokes to complement his simple patterned text. Terry's imaginary prima ballerinas that appear in her bedroom mirror soar in contrasting color. He references several well-known ballets, such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. Each graceful movement is accompanied by a different color of the rainbow. Applause! Applause!

I purchased this book for my two-year old "ballerina." She is learning her color words and this book is one of the reasons! She loves saying the book along with me (ex: "flutter" "dip" "twirl") and even gets inspired to do a few ballerina twirls of her own!!

Along the same veins as Dinosaur! and Ship Ahoy, this charming book works very well for those young ballerinas, or young girls who love to dance. The illustrations are clear and colorful, and the story does not get lost on the page, nor does it overshadow the pictures. I recommend this book for anyone who has a young ballerina in their life!