Ballet Besties: Dante’s Winning Dance

Gr 2-4–The only thing Dante, who is Black, loves just as much as soccer is dancing (and sweets). When Dante’s soccer teammates bully him for taking ballet classes, Dante chooses to lean into his multiple passions to create a dance competition routine sure to impress his teammates. In Naghdi’s continuation of the “Ballet Besties” series, Dante radiates positivity as he unashamedly lives his most authentic life. Dante gracefully handles bullies with kindness also modeled in his interactions with his friends and family. Simple yet detailed illustrations are appropriately placed throughout and paired with simple sentence structure to ease readers into higher level reading. Naghdi draws from her career as a principal ballerina to present technical terminology in a way that is accessible to young readers, complete with a glossary and illustrations at the end. Naghdi weaves in messages of diversity and inclusivity throughout with details such as the food Dante’s family prepares for dinner and dancers performing in wheelchairs.