FICTION

Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake

by James MAYHEW
978-0-76416-407-1.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—Under Madame Rosa's tutelage, Ella Bella and her classmates pretend to be baby swans as they dance to Tchaikovsky's ballet. Ella's imagination draws her into the story and she comes to the aid of Odette, the Swan Princess, under the spell of a wicked sorcerer. Mayhew's watercolor illustrations have elegant lines and are by turns romantic and dramatic as the child helps to reunite the princess and her beloved prince. The simple text is equally graceful. An endnote also provides background on the classic ballet. This addition to the charming series will appeal to fans of ballerinas and princesses.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
In this third book about the imaginative ballet student, a music box draws Ella into Swan Lake. She tags along as the Swan Princess watches her prince being tricked by the evil magician. In this version, all's well that ends well. The text can be plodding, but delicate pink-hued illustrations capture the story's fairy-tale quality. An author's note discusses Tchaikovsky's ballet.
Reviewed by Linda Ludke , Aug 01, 2011

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