Dance, Tanya (Paperstar) [Paperback]

Patricia Lee Gauch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Paperstar

More than anything in the world, Tanya loves to dance. But when her mother says she is too small to take dance lessons like her older sister, Tanya puts down her tutu and surprises everyone with a very special recital of her own. "A lovely book."--Kirkus Reviews. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Tanya, a vivacious preschooler, is bitten by the ballet bug before she is old enough to take lessons. She helps her big sister, Elise, practice and hangs around to watch Elise's class go through their jetes and plies . Best of all, Tanya likes to create her own dances either alone or in a pas de deux with her teddy (a ballerina bear, naturally). She does a Swan Lake which is beyond Petipa's dreams. "You have two dancers in your family," her grandmother tells her mother after a family recital. Her mother does not forget, and sees to it that Tanya starts ballet class as soon as she is old enough. This is a charming family story, showing strong and loving relationships all around. Tanya is an engaging little heroine who does not let her size undermine her determination to have her heart's desire. Ichikawa's illustrations are especially attractive, leaning heavily on muted colors with splashes of black, red, and brown. All this is placed in a pleasing format, creating a ballet story with wide appeal. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (March 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698113780
• ISBN-13: 978-0698113787
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,507,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming dance tale for all ages, October 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dance, Tanya (Paperstar) (Paperback)

My 3 and 6 year old daughters enjoy the story for the talkabout dancing and for the "little sister looks up to big sister" and "little sister feeling left out" themes. The adults in the family get misty-eyed over a little girl's discovery of the beauty of dance (if you've ever shed a tear of joy when Linnea is finally atop the bridge in Monet's Garden, you'll know what I mean). This will be one to save for the next generation :-)

Beautiful water-color-ish illustrations appealed to all ages in our family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Favorite Book for little girls, February 27, 2006

By 

M. S. Chen (River Forest, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dance, Tanya (Paperstar) (Paperback)

My daughter and I absolutely LOVED this book when she was growing up. The story is beautiful and the drawings are fabulous. A book about the longings of a younger sister, who in her heart is ready to dance, even though she is told she's too little.
This is THE book I give to [kid] girls!! Their mothers will love it too.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book - a review of "Dance, Tanya", December 19, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dance, Tanya (Hardcover)

Little Tanya loves to dance. Like her sister she practices plies, pirouettes and arabesques and the two often practice together, but as of yet Tanyette (as she is sometimes called) is too young for lessons.

This all changes one day when her family, celebrating the performance of big sister as a flower in Swan Lake, finds out that little Elise is no longer the cute toddler mimicking the actions of her older sister, but a little girl that is ready for academy

Five Stars. A delightful book that shows two sisters who share a love of dance. My five y.o. daughter loves the talk of `first, second, fourth and fifth' positions. Good read-aloud, the artwork is pleasing with it soft watercolor drawings.

A sample of text follows:

And while nobody was looking, Tanya found her tutu,
and her scarf. And Tanya danced too. All alone.

The music played loud and sweet, and she did a plie
and arabesque and five grand jetes right across the floor.

"Dance, Tanya," her sister said, and her mother held her breath.
Grandma looked over her glasses. "You have two dancers
in your family," she said. Everyone in the room clapped. Elise did too.