Review by Booklist Review
Paro and her mother are Bharatanatyam dancers, fluent in the language and gestures of this traditional Indian dance form. So when Paro joins a ballet class, she should be confident in her ability to learn a new kind of dance. Instead, she is nervous and feels out of place. Her anxiety is heightened when she observes the other dancers, Marco and Dana, skilled at the pirouette and helicopter, respectively. When Paro demonstrates a Bharatanatyam move, the others don't understand it and ask her to teach them. Their newfound companionship leads to much chatter about favorite dancers with names that sound like desserts and fanciful imaginings of themselves as dancing desserts. Paro's insecurity surfaces with every changing interaction, even among these friendly, nonjudgmental peers. Ultimately, peers and adults are all supportive, and Paro learns that with time and practice, she can apply her old dance skills to her new learning journey. This is a sweet story with charming illustrations. Back matter adds an interesting backstory and instructions for making ghungroo (anklets used in Bharatanatyam).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Everyone has experienced the familiar mix of excitement and fear about a new experience. From the very first page, readers will identify with Paro, a young dancer who's both eager and worried about ballet lessons: "What if I'm terrible?" Paro's mother tries to reassure her that she can dance ballet, but as Paro watches from the door of the ballet, she is unsure. Paro befriends Marco and Dana, two more experienced ballet dancers. She tries to share her traditional South Asian dance, Bharatanatyam, with them, but they are unfamiliar and mistakenly think she is simply walking. Paro decides to abandon the traditional dance, but her mother steps in, and Paro's friends grow to love it. The vibrant colors and playful illustrations support the tightly told story and highlight movement. VERDICT A worthy addition to any library, and a necessary tool for helping children understand and develop cultural competency and compassion early on.--Maegen Rose
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A little girl discovers her differences are actually strengths. Paro, an experienced young Bharatanatyam dancer, is nervous about taking ballet lessons for the first time. While Paro comes from a family of classical Indian dancers, she struggles with ballet at first because the steps and poses are so different. By contrast, her new friends Marco and Dana take to ballet immediately. Finding it too hard to study both styles of dance, Paro tells her mom that she's going to quit Bharatanatyam to concentrate on ballet. But when Paro returns to class after her big decision, a wonderful surprise leads her to realize the two forms of dance are not that different after all. Chouhan's bright and engaging illustrations are a fitting accompaniment to Jain's tale about a child whose confidence slowly but surely grows. The energy of Paro's dance class comes through on the page, as do Paro's mother's and her dance teacher Madame's passions for their crafts. The small cultural touches throughout the family home are also a welcome addition. Backmatter includes information on the origins of the term Bharatanatyam and instructions on making traditional anklets. Paro and her mother are Indian American, Madame appears to be White, Dana appears to be Asian, and Marco appears to be Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A warm and encouraging read. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
