KATARINA BALLERINA

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.