TIME FOR BALLET

Tilly is tickled pink because it’s Tuesday, the day for ballet lessons. She eagerly prances through her warm-up exercises before moving on to executing the positions. Lessons conclude with the announcement about an upcoming recital where Tilly will perform as a cat. Geras skillfully blends technical information with the lighter side of ballet, offering a primer in ballet basics as told from a preschooler’s perspective. In preparation for the recital, Tilly elegantly captures all things feline through her movements, allowing readers a glimpse of the creative license allowed through the dance. Geras’s tale underscores that expression, not perfection, is the ultimate goal. McNicholas uses a colorful palate, little wiggly line helping to capture the ebullience and chaos of preschool ballet lessons. The intent expression of the dancers as they stomp around like dinosaurs or flit about like butterflies and the antics of the dancer’s siblings as they await the end of class provide wry touches of humor and a genuine slice-of-life feel to the images. Geared for the tiniest tiptoes, this sparkling tale is bound to delight. (Picture book. 2-6)