By Patricia Reilly Giff
This book gives the reader an opportunity to get a glimpse into the world of ballet as it affects not just adult dancers but also young dancers aspiring to continue the work and art of that world.
The ballet world is perhaps just too mysterious for some readers but this book is a good gradual and easy to understand introduction. One of the key and not to be denied elements of this world is that of competitiveness. While the existence of competitiveness in the world of ballet is very much real, it is presented here in a gentle manner.
Rose, our main character, longs very much to be selected to for the summer ballet. While Rosie works on her routines she still manages to be a kid. She is well balanced in her outlook and this serves her well when she is not selected at this time. Rosie manages to cope in spite of this disappointment and this mature outlook will do much to serve the tween readers of this work who also face competitions of their own in their daily lives.
Ballet terms included in the book are clearly explained and can provide useful information for the readers who want to the specifics about ballet. The illustrations are great in showing Rosie’s range of expressions and this is done in a delightfully minimalist manner. They add the exact amount of lightheartedness needed in this story.
