Selena may not be graceful, but she has enthusiasm! Her ballet teacher, Miss Tutu, tells her that with hard work, she'll be a star. So she practices and practices. She makes mistakes, but she doesn't give up. "What matters most," says Miss Tutu, "is you've always danced with heart." Years pass by before it's time for her debut. "Show the world your love of dance," her teacher tells her. While Selena is dancing, a cat/mouse chase is going on behind the scene, but her debut ends beautifully no matter.

Ages 5 - 7

The illustrations by Carey Armstrong Ellis are charming. I also love the lyrical and witty story of a child achieving something through practice.

Leslea Newman has written more than fifty books for children and adults. She lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

The message is, if you work hard at something, you will get better at it. I think that's important for children to know.

I do wish there was a pronunciation guide for the ballet terms, maybe in the back of the book.

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Created Oct 27, 2015 at 5:27pm • Submit your own review...