Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina [Paperback]

Pamela Duncan Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Mimi the swan is in love with ballet, and more than anything, she wants to attend the ballet at the Opera House. When she ends up on stage as a ballerina, Mimi's antics soon rocket her to stardom as the first-ever prima ballerina!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Mimi the swan drives her friends to distraction with her love of ballet. Whirling around the pond en pointe, she practices every day. Then she glimpses a production of Swan Lake from her observation point on a ledge of the Paris Opera House. "They're all pretending to be me," she cries and resolves to see the production from inside the theater. Mimi tries to sneak in several times but is repeatedly sent away. When she finds the stage door and manages to "enter right" with the cygnets, she's a hit with both the theater and picture-book audiences. Notable composition, effective use of light and shadow, and the swan's-eye perspective amplify the contrast between the stuffy ballet-goers and the unaffected swan. Full-color, double-page spreads show Mimi fleeing a pompous manager with her head snagged under a gentleman's black opera cloak. Comical elongated human figures, reminiscent of the work of Audrey Wood, boost the effect. Buoyant tongue-in-cheek language ("'Great costume' whispered one of the dancers."), lively illustrations, and a winsome heroine make Honk! an irresistible choice for storytime and independent reading.
Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 6^-8. After Mimi the swan sees ballet through a window of the Paris Opera House, nothing can stop her from practicing her plie s--or from trying to see the dancers from inside. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter through the front door, she tries the back, winds up onstage, and brings the audience, cheering wildly, to its feet. In soft-edged cartoon scenes, Cole pits his long-necked avian Pavlova against a glaring, brushy mustached house manager, joins her to the lissome corps de ballet, then leaves her perched grandly in the back of an elegant limousine, "HONK HONK" -ing to admiring fans. Young readers who appreciate the determination of this "prima swanerina" will also enjoy the pirouetting poultry in Mary Jane Auch's Peeping Beauty (1993) and Hen Lake (1995). John Peters --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786812982
• ISBN-13: 978-0786812981
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Dance

More About the Author

Pamela Duncan Edwards grew up in the Wirral, but has spent most of her adult life in the USA. She worked as a children's librarian before becoming a writer and is now the bestselling author of over 30 children's books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honk! Honk!, July 17, 2002

By 

lynn nye (Alpharetta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina (Hardcover)

A good friend of mine lent me a copy of this book to share with my little ballerinas (ages 3-6) during our summer dance camp. I must say, I probably enjoyed reading this story more than my students enjoyed listening to it. (We all loved it!) It is nice to find a book written based upon the ballet "Swan Lake" that children can relate to. Through Mimi, this book teaches with a little practice and persistance you never know what might prevail. Good life lessons that any child can benefit from. A great book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Swan's Perseverance, February 23, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina (Hardcover)

Just the title alone is enough to have your child want to read this book over and over. But what I love about this book, is that through hard work perseverance and persistance this lovable swan realizes her dream, even when it seemed impossible. Not such bad things to be teaching your child in this age of Pokémon and World Federation Wrestling!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A humorous tale of determination, ballet and Swan Lake, May 15, 2001

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina (Hardcover)

"Honk!" reminds me of those old Barbara Streisand films, "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady," where the determined--but klutzy--performer becomes the star of the show. Here Mimi Swan drives her animal friends in the Parisian pond crazy with all her ballet practice. After watching a ballet with the pigeons through the Opera House window where she notices, "They're all pretending to be me," she does everything she can to get in, much to the agitation of the manager.

"Honk!" is a delightful introduction to ballet for youngsters, but be prepared to pronounce the proper French ballet terminology, such as "en pointe" and "demi-plied" (with an accent over the e). And while the title of the ballet is never mentioned, Pamela Duncan Edwards' sense of humor is not wasted on those who recognize it as "Swan Lake!"

I just read this enjoyable title to a class of second-graders in our school library who really enjoyed it.