A fluffy read for kids who like dance in theory, not in practice.
Can a self-taught dancer make it big in the world of ballet?
Katarina dreams of being a ballerina, but lessons are expensive, so she’s been teaching herself via the internet. Then at the school talent show her dad sees her passion and finally agrees to pay for lessons. Katarina’s first class is difficult and embarrassing, but with the help of a new best friend and encouragement from principal New York City Ballet dancer Tiler Peck (acting as character), Katarina might be able to dance her way to her dream. An endless stream of inspirationally flat dialogue and narration fill the short chapters of this quick read co-written by real-life ballerina Peck and actor Harris. A charming concept gives way to pandering wish fulfillment that may satisfy only readers who don’t know anything about formal dance class, as the passages about ballet are less than believable. Readers should go to either Noel Streatfield’s classic Ballet Shoes (1936) or Maddie Ziegler’s contemporary The Audition (2017) for a more realistic look at dance. The cover depicts Katarina with light brown skin and light brown curls, but Collina’s black-and-white drawings and the lack of any specific racial or cultural details in the text points to an assumed white protagonist with unruly curls. Some supporting characters have diverse names or appearances.
A fluffy read for kids who like dance in theory, not in practice. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5276-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
Big questions, posed with majestic simplicity—and packaged with a CD of the original track. .
Dylan's lyrics succeed here better than many other songs that find their way to picture books.
Bucking the usual dismal results when popular songs are forced into an illustrated format, this one makes a brave go—though children will likely be less drawn to it than their parents and grandparents. Paired to Dylan’s often-abstract 1963 lyrics—which, as music scholar Greil Marcus notes in a perceptive tribute as an afterword, can be either “hopeful” or “full of doubt,” depending on how they are sung—Muth’s (Zen Shorts, 2005; City Dog, Country Frog, 2010) full-spread, Impressionistic watercolors are equally open to interpretation. They place a cast of introspective young children with eyes cast down or to the side near roads and on rolling grassy hills, in a misty wood or floating in a small boat past a prison wall and a mountain of ice. Adding paper airplanes, a bright red balloon, a guitar, a cannon shrouded in national flags (topped by those of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China) and other openly metaphorical details, the artist creates an airy, expansive setting for the spare words that positively compels pensive contemplation.
Big questions, posed with majestic simplicity—and packaged with a CD of the original track. . (artist’s afterword) (Picture book. 8-10, adult)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8002-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A solid purchase for those seeking fresh tales with a classic feel or a broader world-lit collection.
Can a cat and a dog be best friends? Purdy and Barker make it work.
The duo lives in a sky-blue house on top of a hill near their friends Henny Cluckington, Daisy Butterfield, and Connie Quackstrom, among others. Purdy’s a free spirit always in search of something new and coming up with schemes, while Barker is a no-nonsense pooch who enjoys the simple pleasures of gardening, working around the house, and doing nice things for his best friend. When Purdy decides he’s a great singer and practices—ear-splittingly—all day long, Barker, true friend, encourages him. When Purdy’s yowl at the talent contest scares away the audience, Barker, the contest judge, sticks it out (though he does not award his bestie the prize). When Barker’s prize tomato goes missing, Purdy’s thoughtlessness causes a great tomato fight…but they end up making delicious tomato sauce and having friends over for dinner. Through a year of adventures (and some disagreements), this unlikely pair remains the best of friends. Finn Parvela tells 20 stories in 20 chapters in wry, straightforward prose translated by Urbom. Complex characters, by turns witty and foolish, will charm readers and listeners alike; Talvitie’s smudgy-lined full-color illustrations complete the package.
A solid purchase for those seeking fresh tales with a classic feel or a broader world-lit collection. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-776570-31-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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