I Want To Dance

PreS-K–A rosy-cheeked white rabbit hears music and peeks into a building, where he sees white girls in white leotards dancing. The rabbit wants to dance, too, and bravely knocks on the door. The teacher admits her to the barre (a few stacked books) to learn alongside the girls. Soon, other rabbits join in. The steps test their skills, though the grand jeté is no problem: “But she was the best at leaps and jumps. (She was a rabbit, after all).” When it comes time for the recital, the teacher declares that only the girls may participate, so the rabbits have a recital of their own in the forest. Costumes made of flower petals and leaves, dancing rabbits on tree stumps, and music attract the ballerina girls to the forest to join the rabbits. The watercolor illustrations showcase light and shadow, a dark forest contrasted with the golden light of the dance studio. Various perspectives and good use of spreads highlight the dancing rabbits. However, although the illustrations are beautiful, the translated text and plot are unmemorable and there is a complete lack of diversity in gender and race among the ballerinas.