Not Just Tutus - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Short, often humorous poems introduce a troupe of endearing young dancers, describing their aspirations, endless toil, and the ultimate thrill of performing. In the first section, "Dreams and Practice," the boys and girls do endless stretches and bends ("Nose to knees/And splits while sitting/Toes on head/You gotta be kidding"); make mistakes ("I turned around/And struck a pose/She turned left/And banged my nose"); yet still manage to keep their hopes alive. In the second part, "Makeup and Lights," the children experience the ups and downs of being on stage. These verses touch upon topics such as costumes that don't quite fit, getting a case of the last-minute jitters, losing one's tights during a glorious leap, and reveling in applause. One poem sums up the reason for all of the hard work: "I put on wings/Just watch me fly/I turn and jump/And touch the sky." Printed on salmon-colored paper, the elegant pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations depict dancers of all shapes and sizes. Beautifully rendered, the pictures incorporate graceful moves and poses with realistic glimpses of children fidgeting, fooling around, grandstanding, and having a good time. Although filled with lighter moments, these poems depict dancers with a real sense of commitment to their art, making the book most appropriate for youngsters who have taken a few steps beyond Katharine Holabird's "Angelina Ballerina" books (Pleasant Co.).
Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

K-Gr. 3. Beginning ballerinas will see themselves in this new book by Isadora, who started dancing at age eight and trained at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. Children will be drawn by the three adorable dancers on the dust jacket--not all of whom are smiling. Each page offers a short rhyme. Some rhymes are more successful than others; a few are quite tortured ("It doesn't matter / if you're the best in the room. / if you don't fit / into the costume"). Like many books, this captures the magic of performing, but Isadora also realistically shows the tribulations and irritations that make up a young dancer's career: blisters and bunions, stage fright, and having to "pee" in the middle of the dance. The short text and the pen, ink, and watercolor artwork on buff-colored paper make this right on target for the audience, which is, perhaps, best represented by the young dancer who declares, "I know that I'm short / I know that I'm round / But I want to dance / So I stand my ground." Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved