A Bunny in the Ballet

K-Gr 2—Désirée is a driven and talented aspiring dancer in Paris. She only has one problem-bunnies are not allowed in the ballet. So what is a cottontail to do? Armed with a pink tutu, she braves multiple obstacles before finding her way into the spotlight. Although disguised as a book about perseverance and discrimination, this book is a sugary confection that pays tribute to the ballet and Paris. The character development is slight, and the bunny triumphs too quickly to make the conflicts feel serious. The book is written in a glib, effervescent tone: "They put false eyelashes on me, which felt very glamorous, and powder on my face, which felt very tickly." The illustrations are a perfect stylistic match to the text, with bubbly, swaying line drawings filled in with watercolor. Francophiles will appreciate the Eiffel Tower and interior design details, including pink telephones. The rabbit and human characters are drawn in a minimalistic, sketchy style without any facial details other than dashes for eyes. The quick lines capture dance movement eloquently, demonstrating the expertise of the author/illustrator, a ballet dancer himself. Children may appreciate the naïve nature of the illustrations, since they resemble a child's artwork. Relevant vocabulary, such as "tendu devant," "passé," and "grand jeté," are illustrated and demonstrated for those who are new to the art. Ballet-loving children and the Francophile adults who read to them may gravitate toward this title, but its story line and character development aren't particularly memorable.—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College, Queens, NY