Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Ballet is the best thing in the world to Emma and Julia. They both wake up early in the morning and go to dance class, where they adore their teachers, stretch, and spin. Yet there's something very different about these two ballerinas. Emma is a little redheaded girl learning her first positions, while Julia is a young African American woman in a professional ballet company. On every spread, McClintock (Adele & Simon, 2006) mirrors the girls' respective days using simple, direct text to highlight similarities and differences: Emma's mother drives her to her lesson. / Julia takes the bus by herself. Her lovely illustrations, in pastel watercolors, inks, and gouache, effectively contrast the young girl with the older. Attention is paid to small but important details the casual clothes Julia wears in rehearsal (most ballerinas don't practice in tutus) and the little kid posture of Emma and her classmates (stomachs pooched out, angular arm positions, etc.), making for a refreshingly realistic portrait of dance lessons. Their paths diverge slightly when Emma gets ready to see a ballet performance, and Julia prepares to dance in that very show. A tender backstage meeting brings Emma and Julia together at last a perfect end to a perfect day. McClintock's simple story captures the joy of ballet and affirms the idea that dreams can come true.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Though they do not meet until the end of the book, two ballerinas-an African-American young woman named Julia and a Caucasian girl named Emma-mirror each other throughout the day. McClintock (My Grandfather's Coat) uses a warm narrative voice and precise illustrations to highlight the similarities and differences between their routines: "They both stretch and move until their muscles are warm," and while "Some of Emma's friends dream of dancing on Broadway. Some of Julia's friends do dance on Broadway." Beyond emphasizing the care and passion both Emma and Julia bring to their dancing, McClintock does a lovely job of building tension as Julia's evening performance approaches, one that Emma sees in person. Writing and drawing with an understated grace that dovetails perfectly with the subject matter, McClintock emphasizes how childhood aspirations can become attainable realities. Ages 4-8. Agent: Jennie Dunham, Dunham Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-McClintock takes a turn from folk and fairy tales to share a sweet story of an aspiring ballerina and her professional counterpart. Emma, a young red-haired girl, gets ready for dance class and excitedly prepares for her first trip to the ballet. On mirroring pages is the story of Julia, a woman of color and professional ballerina, who goes through her day in the city preparing for her lead role in the evening's performance. As their days both come to an end at the theater, the opposing pages blend into one cohesive story and Emma and Julia meet backstage for a hug and an autograph and to express their love of dancing. Young readers interested in ballet will appreciate the glimpse into the life of a ballerina. The seemingly insignificant details of Julia's everyday life paint a picture of her as a real person, and the parallels to Emma's routine further encourage young dancers to see themselves in both of these characters. The story line is simple, the language straightforward and repetitive, further emphasizing the similarities in the lives of the two characters. The pen and watercolor illustrations are expressive and bright, the characters warm and emotive. McClintock makes effective use of white space and leaves the full-color spreads to the dramatic scenes of the performance hall and stage, where Emma and Julia's stories converge. VERDICT An informative and heartwarming selection about the lives of ballerinas of different ages.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Emma wakes up early. Julia wakes up early, tooThey both have ballet lessons this morning. McClintock follows young Emma as she goes to her ballet lesson and professional dancer Julia as she attends company class and rehearsals, pointing out similarities in their days (Both teachers make them work very, very hard). A lively mix of page layouts keeps the pattern freshas do several differences (Some of Emmas friends dream of dancing on Broadway. Some of Julias friends do dance on Broadway). Soon, these characters stories intersect: Emma will be attending Julias performance that night. The back-and-forth vignettes continue as both characters prepare for this exciting event, and the story culminates in a double-page spread of Julias glorious grand jet at center stage, followed by a heartwarming encounter between the two dancers. McClintocks fine-lined pen-and-ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations ably capture Emma and her classmates youthful movements and Julias technical proficiency and grace. Along with the similarities and differences in the two dancers routines and surroundings, readers will spot many ballet-centric details. This engaging and matter-of-factly diverse (Julia is African American) behind-the-curtain look at a ballet dancers life will be appreciated by young dancers, who will see both a reflection of their own experience and a glimpse of whats to come. katie bircher (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ballet is indeed beautiful for both a student and a performing ballerina. In parallel stories, Emma, a young white girl, and Julia, an African-American dancer, awaken and set off for their ballet classes. Each loves her familiar routine and practice session. In the evening, Emma and her parents attend a performance in which Julia dances. A special treat awaits Emma as she gets to go backstage and receive not only an autograph, but also a hug from Julia. In both her words and her colorful illustrations, done in ink, gouache, and watercolor, McClintock deftly balances the two worlds and the preparations involved in being a fan and a member of a company. Emma's mother chauffeurs her, while Julia waits for a city bus. Emma enjoys a family dinner, while Julia snacks with fellow dancers. Detailed drawings show a not-yet-accomplished student, while on the facing page, the ballerina executes her steps with perfect grace; there's no sweating or falling in this world. It is certainly a good thing to see an African-American ballerina, especially given the recent publicity about the lack of diversity in ballet, but why couldn't Emma also be a student of colorlike three of the other girls in her class? It is nice to see a white girl looking to a black role model, however. Young fans will dream big while enjoying this picture-book-perfect world. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
