Ballet Dancer

Gr 1–3—These titles provide an introduction to the dramatic arts for beginning readers. Bright covers, high-profile careers, and a magazinelike layout promise enormous shelf appeal. Each spread covers a different topic, guiding children through required equipment, basic skills, and vocabulary. Superstars of each field make frequent appearances, from David Blaine to Britney Spears; elements of their success are highlighted based on the spread's topic (for example, Movie Star uses Mike Myers's role in Shrek to discuss voice-overs and to provide a segue into accents). The large, color stock photographs occasionally feel like filler (Magician is especially culpable), but do show children of all ages and ethnicities engaging in their craft. Regan emphasizes the importance of hard work, practice, determination-and luck-taking care to be upbeat without providing false hopes. Movie Star and Pop Star, based on their level of useful information and appeal to readers, are recommended. Ballet Dancer is also suitable if additional titles are needed to supplement the more-detailed Kat Castle's My First Ballet Book (Kingfisher, 2006). Beyond its graphic shortcomings, Magician also suffers from unclear writing and a dearth of tricks-this volume can be skipped.—Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library