Miss Lina's Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone, illustrated by Christine Davenier

Sweet and perky rhymes accompany vibrant, glowing pink illustrations in the latest must-have ballet book for little girls who love all things dancing and dainty. Eight little girls dance all day under the instruction of Miss Lina. They dance in pairs and patterns...until a new little girl shows up at the ballet studio. Chaos ensues, until Miss Lina shows them how to divide into trios and they dance happily once again.

The text is light and frothy, with lines reminiscent of Madeline, "In a cozy white house, in the town of Messina,/eight little girls studied dance with Miss Lina." There are a few ballet terms sprinkled in and the rhymes move smoothly and pleasantly.

The real attraction in this book are Christine Davenier's glowing illustrations. Her perky little girls in Hallie Durand's Dessert chapter books are fleshed out in this homage to little girls and their love of dancing - and pink tutus. Each girl has a unique hairstyle and expression, ranging from serene to cheeky and they swirl and spin through the zoo, on the beach, at school, and at home in happy movement.

Verdict: You can never have too many pink ballet books and the glowing illustrations in this one will make it an instant favorite with children and adults alike. I'll have to see what budget I have left for picture books at the end of the year though...

ISBN: 9780312382438; Published October 2010 by Macmillan (Feiwel and Friends); Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library