Clorinda [Paperback]

Robert Kinerk (Author), Steven Kellogg (Illustrator)

Book Description

That Clorinda the cow just won't let anything stand in her way!

One day on a visit to town Clorinda discovers, quite by accident, a ballet performance. It's love at first sight, and for Clorinda there's just one thing to do -- find a way to dance on the big-city stage!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-Clorinda is happy with her bovine life on the farm until the fateful November day that she goes into town to vote, and ends up watching a ballet. Deciding to become a dancer, she puts on a tutu and practices in the barn on a stage that a farmhand builds for her. Although the other animals are not supportive ("No, no. That won't do./You're only a cow, and what they do is MOO!"), the farmhand is more encouraging, and Clorinda heads for New York City. She takes a job waiting tables to pay the bills and continues going on auditions. She finally gets her big break in Giselle, but soon comes to realize that dancing is not the best occupation for a cow. She heads home only to realize that she can still perform there. The colorful and zany illustrations are classic Kellogg. The pictures are filled with motion, and Clorinda manages to achieve a certain grace, despite her lumbering appearance. The spread where she flattens the dance partner who is trying to catch her is laugh-out-loud funny. This story told in rhyme is sure to produce many chuckles from youngsters who will delight in Clorinda's dreams of stardom.
Kristin de Lacoste, South Regional Public Library, Pembroke Pines, FL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Clorinda is just a farm cow until she goes to the ballet. There, a dream is born. A clever rhyming text (which successfully scans!) follows Clorinda to New York, where she waits tables as she hopes for the chance to show the world she can really dance. Rejection? Of course: "We simply aren't hiring cows now, my dear." But she perseveres, and is finally able to phone Farmer Len with the news that she's going to dance Giselle. Still, there are problems. She warns fellow dancer Lou that he may not be able to catch her, and, sure enough, in a marvelous two-page spread, the worst happens: Lou is flattened. But the crowd cheers anyway, applauding the dancers' willingness to do their best. Clorinda's debut is also her closing night, but her return to the farm is triumphant; she's enlisted to teach ballet to a delighted array of pigs, chicks, cats, and ducks. As fine a mix of story and message as this is, it's the irrepressible art that makes this book shine. Kellogg is at the top of his game, finding the humor in every line, whipping his scenes into a design so varied that children will never be bored, and offering a bovine so divine that it's hard to take your eyes off her. Much applause for Clorinda. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416939644
• ISBN-13: 978-1416939641
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 5.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( K ) > Kellogg, Steven

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clorinda, August 30, 2005

By 

Dyana K (texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clorinda (Hardcover)

This is one of our favorites. My daughter asks to read it over and over.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Pigs Can Fly, Can Cows Ballet?, September 7, 2004

By 

L. Reeves (Orlando) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Clorinda (Hardcover)

Clorinda is a wonderful book for parents and kids alike. The prose flows poetically with clever rhymes and beautiful artwork to accompany the words. Reading it aloud is a real pleasure. There are books that I find tedious to read aloud, and those rare few that are actually fun. This is definitely a fun one! The story, and the moral of the story, are a bit unexpected. Clorinda goes to cast a ballot and ends up entranced by ballet. Can she make the big time? Can she reach her goal of being a prima ballerina? I can't give away the ending, but suffice to say that the typical story tells kids they can do anything if they try. This one helps them understand that sometimes things don't work out the way we hope, no matter how hard we try -- and that life goes on, happily, afterward. Buy this one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clorinda, April 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Clorinda (Hardcover)

This is a delightful book that mesmorized my 3 and 6 year old girls. The illustrations are wonderful as well as the rhyming story. The book is fun and has a wonderful message about working towards reaching a dream. I highly recommend this book.