PreSchool-Grade 2-Belinda wants to be a ballerina. Unfortunately, she has "two big problems"-two very big feet. The snooty judges for the Annual Ballet Recital at the Grand Metropolitan Ballet simply cannot barre the sight. Belinda hangs up her lovely pink tutu and changes careers, becoming a waitress at Fred's Fine Food. Then one day, when a band shows up at the eatery, Belinda hears the music and heeds her calling. She flies through the air enchanting the customers, who pass the word on to the Maestro of the ballet. Belinda now shines on stage, dancing so grandly to the music of the band that no one notices her feet, and the judges insist that they have discovered her. Bowing with her arms full of roses, Belinda "didn't care a fig." This cheerful story, illustrated in gouache, may not be grounded in the realities of performance life, but it is amusing and hopefully will strike a chord with children who love to move but who are not perfectly proportioned. The artwork swirls about in bright blues, pinks, and purples while the page layout and Belinda's odd but beautifully positioned and danced jet‚s, r‚verences, and arabesques deserve bravas and applause. Pair this with Mary Jane Auch's Peeping Beauty (Holiday, 1993) and Elizabeth Winthrop's Dumpy La Rue (Holt, 2001) for a fine picture-book performance.
Susan Pine, New York Public Library
Susan Pine, New York Public Library
