TWO BALLERINAS…AND A MOOSE

A clumsy would-be dancer seizes the spotlight.

Though the title doesn’t reveal what kinds of anthropomorphic animals the two ballerinas in this early reader are, Burch’s colorful, cartoonlike illustrations depict them as a beaver and a hippo, “one in red. One in blue.” Their subdued dancing in “fancy clothes” and on “pointy toes” is interrupted when Moose intrudes on their balletic reverie. “Me too! I want to dance too!” exclaims Moose, whose attire is all wrong and whose moves are anything but graceful. The two ballerinas aren’t cruel, but they don’t seem all that invested in helping Moose. After initially exclaiming, “This is…a MESS! Please sit down, Moose,” the omniscient narrator shifts to encouragement: “Don’t give up, Moose!” With that, Moose eschews ballet but doesn’t abandon dancing. A rejuvenated Moose busts a move, dancing “a happy, snappy dance.” In fact, the dance looks so fun that the two ballerinas can’t resist joining. Together, the trio dances “as if no one is watching.” This familiar line delivers a pleasing end to the simple story, with the big full moon gazing down on the characters in a bit of humorously ironic counterpoint between text and illustration.

Will dance its way into new readers’ hearts.