Vampirina Ballerina

PreS-Gr 2–On the advice of her mother, a pale little vampire with tiny fangs and a black cape enrolls in an evening class at  Madame Sang’s Dance Studio. Although the rosy-cheeked ballerinas all dressed in pink are a bit startled by their new classmate, Vampirina does her best to fit in.  Under Madame’s watchful eye, the little girls learn to plié, relevé, and arabesque.  Vampirina’s mother tells her to follow Madame’s instructions, to keep moving toward her goal, and to stay in tip-top shape. The aspiring ballerina practices and practices until she is ready for her debut. On the big night, she dons her costume, overcomes stage fright, and takes a well-earned bow after the performance. The sweet and spooky watercolor and pen-and-ink pictures are filled with motion and portray Vampirina’s “road to ballerinadom” with humor and insight. The illustration of the opening-night performance shows the nervous dancers behind the curtain and then opens out into a four-page foldout across which the five graceful girls twirl and jeté. Vampirina is just as endearing in her devotion to ballet as Katharine Holabird’s dancing mouse in the popular "Angelina Ballerina" series (Viking). This story of perseverance and determination will appeal to young dancers, who will identify with Vampirina’s struggles and cheer her on as she ultimately takes her triumphant bow on the flower-strewn stage.—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Boston, MA.