Ballerina Books for Your
Tiny Dancer
by Janssen Bradshaw
If there is constant twirling, tiny ballerina buns, and an endless rotation of the five positions in your house, these ballerina picture books might be for you!
Some of them are funny stories, while others introduce little dancers to the basics of this classic art form. All of them are sure to be a hit with any young reader eager to don a leotard.
-
Ballerina!
Available as both a board book and a picture book, this is perfect choice for a budding ballerina. Terry performs for a deeply appreciative audience (her parents), changing from one costume to another to take on imaginary roles in various famous ballets. Pair this book with a scarf or two for the perfect gift for a little dancer.
-
Tallulah's Tutu
Tallulah is thrilled about ballet class until she discovers she doesn’t get a tutu. She quits immediately, but then finds that everything around her reminds her of ballet. Maybe she should give it a second chance ...
-
Max
Max isn’t a ballet dancer — he’s a baseball player. But on Saturday mornings, when he walks his sister to dance lessons, he’s invited to join the class, and before he knows it, he’s enjoying ballet (plus, he discovers it’s the perfect way to warm up for his weekend ball game). I love that this book shows that you don’t have to pick between sports or dance, but that the two can complement each other.
-
Brontorina
Available from:Bronterina dreams of doing ballet. But when she’s accepted into a class, it quickly becomes obvious that she’s just too big for the studio. Is there a way for Bronterina to follow her dreams?
Also available from: -
Miss Lina's Ballerinas
Reminiscent of the classic Madeline books, Miss Lina’s eight ballet students dance everywhere in four perfect pairs, whether it’s to school or the zoo. But when a new student joins the class, all that perfect symmetry is thrown off.
-
Flora and the Flamingo
In this beautiful wordless book, complete with flaps on nearly every page, Flora spies a flamingo performing elegant ballet. But when she tries to join, the flamingo rebuffs her, until he finally realizes that together they can do even more beautiful dancing.
-
Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig
Gwendolyn and Omar are best friends. Gwendolyn wants to do ballet, while Omar dreams of joining the football team. But since they are both pigs, their dreams seem like a long shot. Could the greatest dance teacher in the world help make both of their dreams a reality?
-
Hilda Must Be Dancing
Hilda loves ballet, but the neighbors are less appreciative of her efforts and suggest quieter hobbies. But Hilda doesn’t want a quieter hobby. The sound effects make this a perfect book to read aloud.
-
Dogs Don't Do Ballet
Biff doesn’t want to play fetch or go on walks. He wants to do ballet. This little book about a dog following his dreams is hilariously funny and great for reading aloud to both ballet lovers and dog lovers (or both!).
-
Lili at Ballet
With gorgeous watercolor illustrations, this book is an excellent introduction to the basics of ballet for a little dancer who wants to do ballet the right way.