GRACE by Kate Parkinson features a young ballerina who dreams of dancing, but lacks the form and finesse to be successful.
In this adorable picture book, young Grace is told to “Give up, Grace” by her ballet classmates. Discouraged, she goes home and draws a picture of a cat finding solace in the arts. She soon realizes that she has a talent and joy for painting. Her ballet classmates applaud her drawings and she becomes the set designer for their performance. It’s unlikely she’ll become a professional designer, but she’ll continue to enjoy dancing.
The front endpapers feature a cat demonstrating the five ballet positions immediately drawing in young readers. The large-print, easy-to-read font presents sentences that are perfect of beginning readers. The attractive illustrations include a diverse group of characters with memorable facial expressions that will connect with young children.
Librarians and classroom teachers will appreciate the simple but important message. The large, simple drawings are perfect for a read-aloud experience followed by a drawing and dancing activity.
Look for other early readers in Holiday House’s I Like To Read Books collection.
Learn more about the author/illustrator at http://www.kateparkinson.com/.
Published by Holiday House in 2015.
