Little Ballet Star [Hardcover]

Adele Geras (Author), Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Readers are invited to join Tilly for her special birthday treat as she discovers the bustle and excitement behind the scenes at a real ballet performance. From backstage warm-ups, to a trip to the dressing room, to an unexpected wardrobe change—Tilly is just like a real ballerina. The only thing that could make her day even more thrilling? The chance to shine on stage! This charming story captures the delight and anticipation of attending an actual ballet, and makes a perfect gift for every aspiring ballerina.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* On Tilly’s birthday, her mother takes her to see the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Arriving early, they meet Aunt Gina (who dances the lead role), and she takes Tilly backstage to see the dancers warming up and putting on their makeup. Then, she dons her present (a fairy costume) in the wardrobe department. Tilly joins her mother in the audience to watch the ballet, but after the final bows, Gina invites her niece on stage to dance with her, while the orchestra plays “Happy Birthday,” and audience members applaud. A sequel to Time for Ballet (2004), which was also narrated by Tilly, this picture book will charm aspiring young dancers. The large format allows plenty of space for the expressive pencil illustrations, tinted with washes in pastel shades. The story’s ending may be unrealistic, but wish fulfillment has its place, and this picture book offers the stuff that daydreams are made of. Preschool-Grade 2. --Carolyn Phelan

About the Author

Adele Geras lives in Manchester, England.

Shelagh McNicholas lives in Surrey, England.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (March 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803732376
• ISBN-13: 978-0803732377
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and educated at Roedean School, Brighton and St Hilda's college, Oxford.
I've been writing books for children and young adults since 1976 and have published more than 90 titles.
I've also written four adult novels, published by Orion Books.
My website is at http://www.adelegeras.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Book, June 16, 2009

By 

J. Fishman "musicgal" (St. Louis MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Ballet Star (Hardcover)

This book is fascinating to my granddaughters ages 3 and 5 years. We first found it and checked it out of the library. The girls were so fascinated by it that I bought it for them, even though we try to limit too much pink and "girlie" stuff in books. They like books in general, but liked this one even more than usual and last time we read it, they pretended they were ballerinas and made up a whole show!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My preschooler loves this ballet book, September 26, 2008

By 

busymama (atlanta, ga) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Little Ballet Star (Hardcover)

This book has been my 3 1/2 yr old daughter's favorite recently, and my 5 1/2 yr old son enjoys it, too. The story allows you to see "behind the scenes" of a real ballet, and the pictures are fantastic. They are very detailed - in the first picture, for example, of the ballet from the exterior, you can notice a ballet dancer going in through the stage entrance in her street clothes and big marketing posters of the main character's aunt (who is featured later in the story) gracing the building to entice people to come to the ballet. The story and pictures really seem to make the ballet seem like a magical thing to young readers, and the book has inspired us to start talking about going to see The Nutcracker ballet together as a family. We like this book enough to seek out others by this author and others by this illustrator.