Becoming a Ballerina

This post should have been written at least two weeks ago.  I had intended to put it up around the time we actually went to The Nutcracker, but, like many people, I suspect, the holidays seem to have passed by in a blur of holiday traditions and wrapping paper.  I am just now getting back into my regular routines, writing being one of them.  I'm looking forward to spending 2015 with all of you!

Here in Helena we are lucky to have two ballet companies who each offer productions of The Nutcracker during the holiday season.  And because Helena is also a fairly small town, we knew dancers in both of the productions.  We ended up going to the production that was scheduled the weekend before Christmas.  Frances and Gloria have a friend who was in that Nutcracker, and they were so excited to see her perform!  It was very fun to see her and recognize her up on stage, and the whole event lit my girls up with its magic.

Like most families, we have lots of Christmas traditions.  One of my favorite traditions is wrapping twenty-five holiday books up before December first each year.  Then Frances and Gloria alternate opening a book each night to read.  We have many versions of The Nutcracker, so the girls are very familiar with the story.  But this was Gloria's first time attending The Nutcracker, and Frances had only been one other time two years ago.  I was interested to see what the experience of seeing the ballet in person would be like for them.  Would they be bored or confused by the lack of words?  Would they be able to follow the plot?  As we walked back to our car after the ballet was over, I knew my worries were for nothing.  Both girls twirled happily through the snow, declaring what role they would play next year - despite the fact that neither has ever taken a lesson!

Because they've never had a lesson, Frances and Gloria have no idea of the work and hours of practice that go into each production of The Nutcracker.  I have to admit that I had only a very general idea myself.  These days, I only see The Nutcracker through a mother's eyes.  The mother of the girls' friend told me about all of the practices (we often scheduled playdates around practice on the weekends), and I knew it took quite a bit of family commitment.

But all of the drive, focus and commitment was revealed through Becoming a Ballerina: A Nutcracker Story.  Fiona, the main dancer featured in this narrative, has been cast as one of the Claras for the Boston Ballet's version of The Nutcracker.  Because it's the Boston Ballet, and to make things easier for the dancers, there are multiple casts - 247 performers in all!  The book introduces Fiona at auditions for the ballet.  Fiona is the middle child in a family of three sisters, and all of them are auditioning.  The auditions are long and arduous.  Each girl must learn a series of steps for each set of roles, and recreate them perfectly.  There are also a series of callbacks before dancers are notified.  Fiona gets the part of Clara, and each of her sisters gets a role also. 

Once they've celebrated their good fortune in getting cast, it is time to start the work.  The performers only have two months to learn everything.  There are many, many practices with long hours expected of them.  There aren't just the steps to learn, but Fiona must also discover Clara for herself, so she can bring Clara to life for everyone who attends her performances.  It's fascinating to see what Fiona learns, and how her version of Clara is slightly different from the other Claras who are cast.  The choreographer, Ms. Atkins, works with all of the Claras, both together and individually, to make sure their performances are the same, but with their own personality or strengths included.  "' How are you getting into your last arabesque?' she asks me.  Ms. Atkins is trying to get us to put the movements together so they mean more than just steps, so they look like a mini-performance." (p. 17)  There are many, many hours spent in the ballet studio.  For example, on November 21st, the company is performing their first run-through of the ballet.  Fiona notes "We've been at the studio since eleven o'clock this morning, and now it's almost two. ...Run-throughs take longer than the actual performance because we have to go over parts that need corrections, work on spacing, and have breaks.  All the Claras and Fritzes are required to attend all run-throughs with the company." (p. 23).

As I mentioned about the ballet company in Helena, there is also a huge family commitment to the show.  Fiona talks about her mother (who, remember, has three dancers in the cast!).  "She never complains about the hours she spends in the car everyday, driving us back and forth from school to ballet to home.  And on top of that, she teaches piano." (p. 20)  Fiona mentions school several times, and it must be a challenge to keep up with homework during this season.  "I have lots of good friends at the ballet school, but it's different with my regular school friends.  I don't get to hang out after school or on weekends, because I'm always in class or rehearsal..." (p. 20).  Fiona also tells another dancer that her mother had to wake her up at three in the morning because they had forgotten to set her hair in curlers the night before.  There are an amazing amount of details that go into getting everything just right.

Frances, Gloria and I first read this book about a year ago, and one of the things that stuck with me was Fiona's worry that she wouldn't hit the Mouse King with her slipper during the Battle scene.  It was so fun to see it take place on our stage and I let out a sigh of relief when our Clara's slipper actually did hit the Mouse King.  I had never thought about how tricky that might be before, but I had a new appreciation for it.  And on opening night, Fiona also hits the Mouse King! Whew!

This book is much more picture book nonfiction than some of the other books I review.  I prefer my nonfiction to have lots of back matter - this title doesn't have any, but I could see where it would be nice to have some.  I would have loved to have a glossary of ballet terms, perhaps with drawings of each movement.  I would have also liked to see some information about which version of The Nutcracker was performed by the Boston Ballet.  But that isn't the purpose of this book.  The book is structured as a narrative, and it works very well.  You see everything through Fiona's eyes, and she has a very likable, readable voice.  The authors are able to get quite a bit of detail about ballet and Fiona's life into this narrative.  We learn so much about the requirements of this particular ballet, as well as how the Boston Ballet prefers to produce it.  It is also interesting to see how Fiona continues to improve and learn throughout the two months.

The book is illustrated with lots and lots of photographs.  It helps add to the feeling that this is Fiona's diary - you get to see her practice, spend time with her sisters and friends, watch her at home and in performances.  The costumes are glorious, and the whole book makes you feel like you really know Fiona.

This book is a fun addition to our collection of Nutcrackers.  I can't wait to read it again with Frances and Gloria now that we have seen the ballet this year.  I'd recommend it to any of you who have children who are as eager to begin lessons as mine are!

Becoming a Ballerina: A Nutcracker Story starring the dancers of Boston Ballet.  Lise Friedman & Mary Dowdle.  Viking, 2012.

sent by the publisher for review

Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker

I am a Christmas book junkie.  I have Christmas stories from my childhood and books that I have collected over the years from book sales and library donations.  Every year I give each of my daughters a new Christmas title (this year I found a favorite from my library storytime days called A New Suit for Santa for Gloria and Strega Nona's Gift for Frances).  We have so many Christmas books that every year I wrap 25 Christmas stories and we open and read one each day and we still have plenty left to enjoy at other times.  Yes, say it with me: I am a Christmas book junkie.

So when HarperCollins sent me Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker to review, the girls and I were excited.  We have several great versions of The Nutcracker at home, and I wondered how this one would stack up against some of our favorites.  I actually really like this version, but I am not surprised.  If you don't know Mary Engelbreit, she is a designer who dabbles in many artistic endeavors.  She has created greeting cards, fabric, home decorating books, a magazine and many other things based on her darling, vintage illustrative style.  Now in the past few years Engelbreit has begun issuing her own versions of some famous children's stories (Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales, Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose) as well as writing her own original stories (at our house, The Queen of Halloween is a favorite).

Engelbreit has an amazing knack for distilling the plot into a storyline easy for readers to follow.  The Nutcracker can be confusing.  After all, there are two distinct sets of events - Marie meeting the Nutcracker and battling with the Mouse King, and then the trip to Toyland.  But here, with just a few lines of text on each page, Engelbreit keeps what's important and focuses it.  Her version isn't long (it probably took us ten minutes to read aloud), but it has all the elements we love - magic, fantasy, action and even some romance.  And instead of seeing all the action swirling across a stage in a ballet performance, where there are often many things going on, Engelbreit keeps everything told through Marie's perspective.  It allows children to really identify with Marie, with her love for the ugly Nutcracker, her anger at Fritz, her bravery, her awe.  Readers see it all through Marie's wide eyes.

This is a retelling of the original version, created by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816 as The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. As such, there is no mention of ballet in this version, which may serve as a contrast with other versions.  Having experienced the ballet both with Frances and on my own, I know the storyline can sometimes be forgotten in the face of glorious ballet performances and swirling costumes.  But there is still dance in this story, especially in Toyland.  Engelbreit has paid homage to the movements and dance of the characters subtly throughout.  This works because so much of this story is experienced through its illustrations.

Mary Engelbreit's illustrative style evokes the illustrations of old, and this book is no exception.  On the jacket flap of this book, Engelbreit explains that she is influenced by old picture books, and you can definitely see it here.  It's in Herr Drosselmeyer's top hat, the style of houses, the cars and the toys pictured throughout.  For those who are aficionados of Engelbreit's work, many of her regular motifs and characters appear here as well.  The old-fashioned look of the book is also tied to the old-fashioned candy scattered throughout many pages.  There are peppermints, lollipops, gumdrops and ribbon candy encircling Marie and the Nutcracker on the cover.  As the book goes on, candy sprawls everywhere - it overlaps frames, spills onto streets and of course pops out of presents.  It adds a lush feeling to the story, and one that many children will delight in.  Adults, too, will enjoy seeing the old-fashioned details that make this book unique.

Engelbreit uses multiple frames to help tell the story.  Pages often have several different illustrations to pore over.  On the page where Marie and the Prince enjoy the dancing in Toyland, there is a framed illustration in the middle of the page with Marie and the Prince eating...you guessed it, candy.  There are spot illustrations of more food and international dancer fill the rest of the page.  Your eye moves from spot to spot following the line of dancers across the page.  Even though Engelbreit puts a lot on each page, the illustrations do not feel busy.  Instead they convey interest and movement.  This can subtly evoke the whirling dance of the ballet. 

There is one page where there seems to be on odd choice in the illustrations.  During the battle between the mice and soldiers, the text mentions that "Marie was so frightened she fell and bumped her knee."  Yet the illustration focuses on the mouse army.  At the bottom of the page is Marie's head, oversized, peeping from the edge of the page.  There's no evidence of her fall.  In a book where there is limited text and every word counts, either that fact should have been eliminated or it should have been shown to make the fight even more dramatic.  But this is just one small misstep from a veteran illustrator.

I hope you still have room under your tree for one more Christmas title.  This one is fun for young and old readers alike.  Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker reminds me of Christmas candy - sweet, nostalgic and full of flavor.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker.  Mary Engelbreit.  HarperCollins, 2011.

This book was sent to me in galley form by the publisher in hopes I would review it.

Miss Lina's Ballerinas

I chose this book at our local library because I knew it would interest Frances.  Frances and her group of girl friends saw The Nutcracker in December, and are going to see a ballet production of Cinderella in May.  And while Frances would usually prefer to select her own books on our library trips, she agreed to this one right away.  It's easy to see why just from the cover - eight little ballerinas gesture gracefully at the framed title, all rendered in appealing shades of pink.

The plot and interior illustrations are equally appealing.  This is the story of the eight young ballerinas who spend their days at Miss Lina's school - Christina, Edwina, Sabrina, Justina, Katrina, Bettina, Marina and Nina (whew!).  They dance in four groups of two and spend the rest of their day in the same way.  From the zoo to the beach to their local grocery store, the girls dance joyfully through their day.  But then Miss Lina welcomes a new student (named of course, Regina) to their school, and the rest of the ballerinas are thrown off-kilter.  How will they solve the problem and continue to dance in step with nine ballerinas?

Maccarone has combined two important themes for young girls in this story - friendship and ballet.  Ballet language is used naturally within the text, and the girls are also shown executing the named steps.  At the end of the story there is a short list of the ballet terms with pronunciations (for unsure parents) and a one-word definition.  The natural combination of the terms within the text and the illustrations of those steps may spur interested readers to continue exploring ballet.  The friendship theme is also crucial to the young child - the eight original ballerinas are thrown off by the change and are not welcoming to Regina.  It takes a little guidance from Miss Lina to solve the problem and make the dance troupe successful.  There is also a hint of math for astute readers as the girls struggle to divide themselves into even lines.

One of the things I like best about this book is that it is a natural, infectious read-aloud.  The bouncy rhythm suits the characters perfectly.  Even just saying all the ballerinas' names (Christina, Edwina, Sabrina, Justina, Katrina, Bettina, Marina and Nina) starts you dancing along.  If I wasn't already reading it aloud, I would have grabbed my girls within the first few pages just so I could say the words aloud.  The lilting prose has strong end-rhymes, something I find important for a successful read-aloud.  It is hard to read a book aloud when the words either don't fit the rhyme scheme or the author has to use words that might not be the best choice because it rhymes.  None of that happens in this story.

The color choices in the book are also superb.  The pages' creamy color makes the ballerinas' pink tutus pop.  The color palette is striking and rich.  In one illustration, the dancers are shown at the zoo, and while the prevalent color is the green of the trees surrounding the elephant enclosure.  However, the ballerinas use the railing as a barre in the foreground, and your eyes are drawn to their bubble-gum pink dresses as they dance.  My only complaint is that the artist's medium isn't identified in the prefatory material, so I'm not exactly sure what she used to create these energetic illustrations.

One of the other things that I enjoyed about the picture book is its resemblance to Madeline.  After all, there are the young girls, dressed identically, dancing in straight lines.  There is the willowy dance teacher, guiding them much like Miss Clavel.  And the easy to read rhymes sing along, just like when you read Madeline.  It is a pleasant connection, subtle, but leaving a smile on your face.

We all loved this book in our family, and the girls' names have been a constant refrain in my head all week long.  Well-done, fun and perfect for any little girl in your life.

Miss Lina's Ballerinas.  Grace Maccarone; illustrated by Christine Davenier.  Feiwel and Friends, 2010.

borrowed from Lewis & Clark Library

Brontorina

First of all, I'd like to apologize for my six week blog silence.  I have been reading during the holidays, but frankly, I didn't read anything that really sparked my interest and made me want to write.  As the holidays continued, family events and a vacation with my little girls relegated quality reading to the back burner.  But I'm back with a few things to talk about.

The American Library Association's Youth Media Awards were announced almost a week ago.  When I was a librarian, I either attended the conference or watched the live webcast.  This year I was "watching" the awards via Twitter, frantically refreshing my phone while we were at an inflatable bounce palace with the girls.  So when I saw that Ship Breaker had won the Printz Award, everyone in the bounce house turned to look at me shrieking!  And then I heard that Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring won a Siebert honor...I've read some great books this year!  I'm looking forward to reading more of the award winners and sharing them with all of you.

At the beginning of December, I read Anita Silvey's article in the Boston Globe about her 10 favorite books of the year.  The picture book section included Brontorina by James Howe, which is about a dinosaur who yearns to be a ballerina.  A dinosaur?  A ballerina?  Those subjects are both high on Frances' favorites list right now, so I checked Brontorina out from our public library.

It all begins with a dream.  Brontorina, an enormous Apatosaurus, has a dream of being a ballerina.  Not the kind of dream you have while you are asleep, but the kind that you keep in your heart.  So she arrives at the door of Madame Lucille's Dance Academy.  The ballet students gather around while Brontorina explains her dream.  Like any classroom, there are naysayers ("She doesn't have the right shoes"), but there are other students who believe Brontorina can dance, and they convince Madame Lucille to accept her. 

As the story progresses, and Brontorina begins to dance, there is a wonderful synchronicity between text and illustration.  Some pages are more text-heavy, allowing the plot to move forward.  Then there are other spreads where the full page illustrations are allowed to shine, and information is given in dialogue.  For instance, as Madame Lucille begins to put the class through their exercises, the only words on the page are her commands.  The illustrations show the students correctly demonstrating the positions, including Brontorina.  But the dinosaur scrapes her head on the ceiling doing a jete, and comes perilously close to squishing students with her tail.  Brontorina can dance, but Madame Lucille finally, sadly, admits that Brontorina and ballet school do not mix.  But can the students come up with a solution?
While James Howe's text is wonderful, I really felt that Randy Cecil's illustrations were the star.  In a world where dinosaurs and humans co-exist, Cecil uses the dinosaur's perspective throughout the book.  Buildings soar above the small students, and in close-up shots, Brontorina is only partially visible.  The illustrations are luscious and awe-inspiring.  The textures in Cecil's paintings add richness, depth and a balance of light and shadow to these pages.  Most of the color palette Cecil chose is muted, allowing Brontorina (in a bright, eye-catching orange) to be the focus of each page.  I had been attracted to Cecil's friendly animals in We've All Got Bellybuttons! and the students and teacher here have the same expressive, fun faces.

In the end, Brontorina's dream is fulfilled.  All it takes is someone to believe in her dream, and some positive, creative problem solving.  This is a terrific collaboration, and I only wish that it had won some Caldecott love.

Brontorina.  James Howe, illustrated by Randy Cecil.  Candlewick Press, 2010.  borrowed from the Lewis & Clark Library.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring

As you know, I am always on the lookout for new, interesting nonfiction.  One nice thing about our new library is that they have a display of the new children's nonfiction.  This is especially helpful because it is ultimately interfiled with the adult nonfiction, making it harder to spot interesting nonfiction.  The cover is so joyous and vibrant, with the dancers' arms thrown exuberantly in the air, that it attracted me right away. 

This is the story of the collaboration between Martha Graham, Aaron Copeland and Isamu Noguchi in the 1940's.  Martha came up with the idea to create a ballet which would be a "legend of American living".  In the retelling of the collaboration that created this masterpiece, Greenberg and Jordan also weave in information about all three of the artists and their individual creative processes.

There are some things that are truly stunning about this book.  One of these things are the layers of collaboration evident in this book.  There is the described collaboration between Graham, Copeland and Noguchi.  This is truly awesome - while Martha created the script for what she envisioned, she did so with constant input from Aaron Copeland.  And he wrote the music knowing the way she moved and danced.  Noguchi had worked with Graham many times before, so they too had a strong working relationship.  This creation is something I think young people do not have experience with, and the depiction of this by the authors and illustrator is a marvel.

However, the seamless collaboration between the authors and illustrator is also a marvel.  The authors have written together many times before, and the text is truly beautiful.  The sentences are short and poetic, where every word counts.  You get a real sense of how the ballet is composed without any superfluous information.  Brian Floca's illustrations are an equal match to the beautiful text.

His watercolors are precise yet flowing.  They carry the emotion of the ballet capably.  As I mentioned earlier, the cover illustration is so joyful, and there are equally compelling portraits of Martha Graham in anger and frustration and the dancers concentrating with every ounce of their being.  Floca also has created a variety of illustrations, from spot illustrations to double page spreads.  This keeps the reader's eye moving, giving a sense of the ballet's movement to the reader.  The illustrations in this book are so sweeping in comparison to his detailed work in Moonshot, but it is just as gorgeous.

This book has wonderful back matter, which I really appreciate in a work of nonfiction.  There is a bibliography (including a film of the ballet being performed) and citations.  But most importantly, there are biographies of each of the collaborators.  I think this is a wonderful connection for students who were not previously aware of their work.  I also think the subject matter makes this book much more appropriate for older students.  I love seeing so much information being imparted in the accessible picture book format.

An absolutely stunning collaboration about an equally awe-inspiring collaboration.  Well recommended.

Ballet for Martha:Making Appalachian Spring.  Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca.  Roaring Brook Press, 2010.