The Pink Ballerina

This is a wonderful book series that teaches little girls their value in this world and where it comes from. I believe children should have a healthy self esteem but with humility. These books tell them that they are the most precious creations because they are children of God. I can't think of a better message! My daughter loves them because she is very much into dress-up and pretending to be a princess. Gigi is a character that she can identify with. I highly recommend the whole series including the Gigi God's Little Princess Bible. My daughter and I read it every night and it has great life applications for each of the verses. Gigi, God's Little Princess

The Pink Ballerina is the newest book in the Gigi series, written by Sheila Walsh, which follows a little girl who knows she is God's princess. In this book, Gigi is on a mission to praise God. Her memory verse (Psalm 149:3) encourages her to do this through dance. When she and her best friend, Frances, join a ballet class, Gigi's tiara and feather boa cause some trouble. Gigi is devastated. She thinks if she can't dance well, she can't be God's princess. That night her father puts those fears to rest. "... you are God's little princess because He chose you, not because of anything you do or how well you do it." He goes on to explain how she can show God she loves Him in lots of different ways. Illustrated by Meredith Johnson, the Gigi books are perfectly feminine. Each character is full of expression. There's not a ton of color -- it is done mostly in greyscale and pink -- but the illustrations are excellent. They add tremendous value to this book. What I Like: The story is delightful, reaching out to the princess-crazed generation with a new message. In a wonderfully simple way, the author addresses the security of believers. She instills in young girls the truth that God loves them no matter what they do or how they look. He loves them because He chose them. The Scripture emphasis is great. What I Dislike: It's a little long and seems to lose focus at some points. Also, some details are lost if readers are not familiar with the series. For example, the story references Tiara and Lord Fluffy, but readers may be lost,not knowing these are the names of Gigi's pets. Overall: A very good book! One final note ... The age recommendation says 9-12, but I would say more like 4-10. My 3-year-old loves this book! Tanya -- Christian Children's Book Review