Angelina Ballerina Book

Angelina Ballerina is the picture book that first introduced Angelina to her adoring fans. This tiny dancer has proved to have enormous staying power-she has been a hugely popular character for more than twenty years. And Angelina's popularity only continues to grow. She is even the spokescharacter for National Dance Week.With Katharine Holabird's lively writing and Helen Craig's charming illustrations, the original story about the feisty little mouse who wants nothing more than to dance still keeps young ballerinas leaping with delight.

Publishers Weekly

The heroine of Angelina Ballerina , it turns out, is as deft an entertainer twirling on ice as she is performing an onstage pas de deux. Here the spunky, diminutive mouse organizes a New Year's Eve figure skating show. With characteristic aplomb she overcomes a number of obstacles, including two pesky young hockey players who repeatedly interrupt her rehearsals. A confrontation between these ``big boys'' and Angelina erupts into a pond-wide snowball fight, vividly portrayed by Craig in a motion-filled, double-page illustration. This spectacle--as well as captivating depictions of both indoor scenes and the ice extravaganza--more than justifies the artist's top billing on the book's cover. But Holabird's narrative percolates steadily, and words and pictures culminate in a jubilant final scenario replete with well-deserved fireworks. Ages 3-7. (Nov.)