On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC

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I think that I first fell in love with artist/illustrator Rachel Isadora when I read her 1970 masterpiece, "Ben's Trumpet". That was the book, above all others, that will forever be associated with Ms. Isadora's great name. That isn't to say that she isn't capable of other good books as well. Fast forward some 30 years later and she's still cranking them out. Of these some are more memorable than others. One of the best, however, is a ballet-centric little alphabetical entitled, "On Your Toes". A niggling little voice on my right shoulder wonders if there wasn't a more alphabetical way of naming the book, but that's splitting hairs to say the least. What we have here is a fine fine title for those boys and girls for whom the glory of ballet is at its peak. Alphabet books all follow the same structure. The words must conform to the theme, be it dinos, racecars, found objects, or secret agents (I kid you not). In this case, Isadora has given everything a balletic nature. She alternates French terms (like A - Arabesque and P - Pas de Chat) with clothing (M - Makeup, Z - Zipper) and characters from different shows (O - Odette, F - Firebird). In doing this, the author makes it clear that she is well aware of the ins and outs of the child/ballet world. Y stands for Yarn and shows a girl still in tights knitting something, legs splayed out before her. It's a sight you'll see in every ballet company around the globe, but an image that few authors would have been canny enough to include. It lends a bit of legitimacy to the entire book. Likewise X is said to stand for "X marks the spot". You see a girl playing Clara in "The Nutcracker" stepping delicately on an X that has been placed on the stage floor. Again, if you know your theater then you know that such Xs are there to give actors and dancers an understanding of where to go in a scene. What I liked best about the book was that it seems genuinely like something kids would like. Those kids already into ballet, that is. The French terms (I well remember the flashcards of them I had to memorize when I was a wee ballerina tyke) may help some kids to remember what a grand jete or a developpe looks like. Some might quibble that for some of the kids that need this book, the fact that it's an alphabet title disqualifies it from being desired by older kids. I disagree, partly because it's a beautiful book and partly because I've rarely seen a kid turn down an alphabetic title when it was something that truly interested them. In the end, "On Your Toes" is smarter than the average ballet picture book and better looking than your average alphabet book. It's multicultural, multi-gendered, and clever. There's a beautiful glossary in the back that kids will benefit from and parents and adults will appreciate. It's hard to find anything wrong with this book. The best of its kind.

I thought this book a work of art....not only a book for children. I came across it at a ballet concert where it was being sold at the theater store. I was amazed to see such wonderful and expressive art work. There is not much in the way of ballet art today and I was so pleased to find this book. I think children will enjoy it as well........the colors and costumes are great. Thank you to Greenwillow Books of New York

Author illustrator Rachel Isadora's Ballet ABC book is as magically elegant as the dance itself. Each letter introduces a ballet term. Each drawing illuminates the term in graceful pastels. Isadora once studied at the School of Ballet and danced with the Boston Ballet. Her passion for the dance lives on in her books. Don't miss the glossary after letter Z for Zipper: it helps the reader pronounce unfamiliar phrases and elaborates on word origins. For example, P for Pas de chat (pah duh SHAH) is a French phrase meaning "step of the cat." T for Tutu, a costume made of several layers of tulle, was originally an underskirt worn under heavier fabric. My preschool daughter adores this book, along with Ballerina! by Peter Sis. On Your Toes will surely win applause from your own aspiring dancer.

This is a beautiful book! The illustrations are just gorgeous! I was concerned that it wasn't going to be muticultural but it was! The pics are too cute and the alphabet goes through smoothly and when they get to letters like Q, X and Z they clevery have appropriate words. I can't wait to get into the classroom with this one.