BELINDA IN PARIS

Belinda the big-footed ballerina returns for another performance in this Paris-set sequel. She has perfected her skills since her debut and has been invited to perform with “the best ballet company in Paris,” but alas, her pointe shoes have been lost in transit, and Belinda has only one day to find a new pair to fit her immense feet. With the help of a charming little French dancer, Belinda twirls through the city of Paris searching for her new shoes, seeing famous sights, and meeting Parisians along the way. She helps several new friends solve their own dilemmas in creative ways, resulting in a solution to her own problem: new pink pointe shoes made with baguettes as the shoe forms. Young’s thorough research is apparent in all the subtle French touches throughout her gouache illustrations and in her choices of locations throughout Paris. Belinda is an amusing and appealing character who surely will find other performance venues as her character continues to develop. (Picture book. 4-7)