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. 

Big Bear Ball by JoAnne Ryder & Illus by Steven Kellogg

This book is a riot of color and exuberance. 

I am sure I have already discussed my childhood obsession with Steven Kellogg. But if I haven't, he was a rockstar in my little kid library. Pinkerton! That wild sea monster! The tadpole that got too big! Paul Bunyan! Johnny Appleseed! 

He was kind of a big deal to us.

Those colors though!

This book is rhyming and lilting, one of those books that is sort of like a song without a tune.

Mostly, this book has a lot of bears getting together for a shin-dig.

And these bears do not stint on enthusiasm.

So much enthusiasm they get the other animals involved.

They even take on Gator.

And with the sunrise, they are away.

Until next time!

Seriously. Even though a lot of my favorite illustrators today use a muted palette and folk-arty style, Steven Kellogg will always have a place in my heart. 

Winter Story by Jill Barklem

Oh, we love Jill Barklem so. 

This was my mother's tea set when she was a girl. Not sure where the teapot is. So I used a creamer from my Great Aunt's table set that matched. 

Nothing says winter cozy quite like steaming cups. And yes, I had a little too much fun with props on this one!

Brambly Hedge books always begin with a map of their world.

The middle of a snowless winter. Little lights winking out all over the hedge as the sun sets. 

I love Brambly Hedge!

Snowflakes begin to fall. Mr. Apple goes home to a warm supper by a roaring fire. I often wish I had a roaring fire. It seems like a necessity in a Northern clime. 

We will just look at that picture again because we love it so. 

Happy sigh....

The Toadflax kids watched the snow falling with great excitement!

It was a white world when they woke up.

Fortunately for mice, they can just tunnel under the snow rather than wander around up on top. 

Mr. Apple's store where they all gather to discuss tradition, which involves a winter ball. 

They construct an Ice Hall for the dance by hollowing out a snowbank and making sure the roof was secure. 

While the ice hall was being constructed; Hot soups, punches, and puddings bubbled and in the ovens pies browned and sizzled. 

Here, the Toadflax kids help string crabapples to roast over the fire.

The ice palace in all its finished splendor. Quite impressive for one day's work. 

The Ice Ball in full swing!

Desert

I love the ladies in their garden party hats at an ice palace. 

Tucking tired mousies into bed.

After kids were asleep, parents went back to the Ice Ball for more dancing. 

CPS would have had a field day with this crowd. But they are so cute, how could anyone really be upset? 

And finally, as the morning broke and snow started falling again, even the adults were danced out. Home to cozy beds! 

Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock

 

I really like Barbara McClintock illustrations. They remind me a bit of Peter Spier. I also really love this story. It follows a little girl and her ballerina idol through their day. I think there is still a little girl inside me, fascinated by the elegance of the ballet.

 

I really appreciate books with somewhat frothy roles for African Americans. There is a huge body of literature of amazing African Americans, which is so important, but the frothy and less serious roles are much more limited. Which is a shame.

 

This is a recent book, published this year, and I can't help but wonder if it is based loosely on Misty Copeland's becoming the first African American principle dancer in the American Ballet Theatre last year.

 

And I apologize for the odd picture colors. My computer decided to malfunction (who needs a computer when you are taking five online graduate classes anyway?!) so I don't have access to the original files to change them. And downloading them from here and then changing them seems unnecessarily complicated. So just imagine they are not blue.

 

They are different sizes, but they both love ballet. Which is the important thing.

Both wake up. Both have ballerina pictures on their walls.

 

Both go to ballet...

 

...and work hard.

 

But then, Emma goes home to get ready for a ballet performance, while Julia stays put to get ready for a ballet performance.

 

An evening at the ballet. Behind the curtains, in front of the curtains.

 

Those chandeliers---so magnificent!

 

Julia, getting ready with the other ballerinas.

 

Julia, as the star.

 

Being fabulous.

 

And then they meet.

 

Isn't the poufiness of her skirt fabulous?