Angelina Ballerina

All Ages

Birth - 12 months

Angelina Ballerina

by Katharine Holabird
Illustration by Helen Craig

Mr. and Mrs. Mouseling are going to the grown-ups-only costume ball, and Angelina is determined not to miss the fun. So she and Alice find a way to sneak in and fool everyone.

Age: 3 Year-olds | Title: Angelina Ballerina | Author: Katharine Holabird | Publisher: Viking Children's Books

Mr. and Mrs. Mouseling are going to the grown-ups-only costume ball, and Angelina is determined not to miss the fun. So she and Alice find a way to sneak in and fool everyone.

Why we chose this book

Angelina is an adorable little mouse who wants nothing more in the world than to be a ballerina. She practices ballet all day long, often forgetting the other chores she should be doing. You don't happen to know a little one who is so passionate about something that they would rather forgo chores . . . do you? Although the story is told through a third person narrator, Angelina's childlike excitement and passion is accurately conveyed, "One night Angelina even danced in her dreams, and when she woke up in the morning, she knew that she was going to be a real ballerina some day." The sketched drawings and pastel coloring add an old fashioned and comforting appeal to the pictures. The illustrations are highly detailed, begging for a second look before turning the page.

Your little one is likely to ask about some of the new words they see in this story, like curtsy and arabesque, and plies. Perhaps you both can try performing them together! You can also take some time to talk to your child about whether they love something the way Angelina loves ballet. You can point out how hard Angelina works at her ballet every day and goes from being rather clumsy to having her teacher compliment her dancing. The great message here is that hard work pays off! There is also a great message for parents in this story; supporting your child in whatever they love to do which will encourage them to put their best foot forward.

My niece Emily loved this book so much she took it out almost every day, begging for it to be her final bedtime story. She was inspired by Angelina's love for ballet and Emily frequently announced that would also like to start ballet lessons as soon as she was old enough. Right now she is taking gymnastics, but she loves to throw in some of her ballet moves too.

--Audra