A Bunny in the Ballet by Robert Beck. unpgd. Scholastic Inc., January, 2014. 9780545429306. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)
Robert Beck, former principal dancer, dance company founder and owner of a rabbit named Déserée, makes his children's book debut with this frothy confection about pursuing one's dreams.
Déserée the bunny wants nothing more than to join a ballet company and dance her heart out. She's all music and movement and splits too, in her room but when she sets out to join a company, Madame Molotov is not very welcoming. "There are no bunnies in the ballet." Mr. Cloud is more welcoming. Even though she's the only student in pink dance clothes, thanks to Madame, she's an able and enthusiastic pupil.
The ink and watercolor illustrations are splashes of color and line, little detail and more evocative of movement. Déserée is an adorable bundle of lines who morphs a bit curiously when she dons a tutu. I'm not sure if this one has the muscle to compete with the plethora of books out there for balletophiles, but if one has a reader who can't get enough of them, Déserée's story is sure to please.
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