To Dance by Siena Cherson Siegel & Illus by Mark Siegel

This is a lush and elegant look at the world of dance from a teen ballerina's perspective. 

Siena Cherson Siegel was part of the New York City Ballet and her husband is an artist. So together, they created something to charm anyone who dreams of ballet or who loves a well crafted graphic novel. 

Running on the beaches of Puerto Rico where she was born. 

The endpapers at the front. Which come full circle to the endpapers at the end. Which is so nice and symmetrical. 

Siena was a dancing child, loving movement and rhythm. However, doctors said that with her flat feet there was really no point in her taking dance lessons. However, her mum was no dummy and let her take dance classes anyway. 

After seeing a performance of The Swan, Siena was completely captivated. It was all she could talk about, how the ballerina entered so completely into the performance that she was the swan, dying unwillingly. 

With that performance spurring her onward, she dove into ballet with all her energy. 

Her passion and talent began to be noticed. Finally she was offered an audition to train with the New York City Ballet.

Intimidation in the form of Madame Tumkovsky. 

In the rarefied world of ballet, all the important people were Russian. And wore black. 

Ballet took even more of her life now. But there were rewards. Like finally getting her first pair of toe shoes. 

Oh the delight of those toe shoes! 

So much to do and so much to learn. Like how to wear Japanese robes while wandering around backstage. 

Loving ballet as she did, she would stand backstage to watch the dancers even when she wasn't dancing, learning as she watched how to be the principal ballerina. 

Across the stage, also standing in the wings, was Mr. B, George Balanchine, the director of the NYC Ballet. 

Life went on, with a few speed bumps in the form of arguing parents and friendships. 

But always, always ballet.

Being seeped in ballet so much helped her see ballet all around her. Even in football games in Florida with her father. 

But there were times of normalcy, being a teenagers in the 1980's in New York City. 

After an ankle accident at eighteen, her ballet career was chopped short. She had to shift her life focus completely, but eventually she began to dance again, not professionally, but because dancing "...fills a space in me." 

And then the endpapers at the back, as she is dancing across the beaches again with her baby and husband in tow. 

It's Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf & Illus by Steve Johnson

This sweet little book is mostly just a nostalgic delight for me. Dairy farms were my childhood. 

Cow hide! 

A little farm girl heading out to get the cows.

Coming into the barn. 

We had one machine like this at some point, but it wasn't the typical kind. 

One thing I loved about farm life was working with my dad and brothers and sisters. We didn't always have deep conversations at 5 AM. But there is something about working together, being part of a team that makes you close somehow. We didn't dwell on that, since we weren't prone to heart to heart chats, but it just was. And I think it is part of the reason we are still close today. 

This book works through all the different parts of farm life, but older farms. Living in Amish country, we see those cans still in use everyday, but most non-Amish hasn't used them in ages. 

Feeding the calves was generally my job as the milker. Sometimes it was really obnoxious and dirty, but sometimes, it was calm and delightful. 

Calves are rather lovable. Or at least some are. There were a lot of dumb cows that came through our barns, but calves are so big eyed and excited it is hard not to love them. 

Swooping swallows and sunsets.

The washing up

And the heading back in. 

I loved walking from the barn to the house. The lights on, knowing there was supper, warmth, a shower, and bed.