Delightfully clever counting book with gorgeous and inclusive illustrations.
- Kim Tomsic, Author of Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World
A delightfully charming picture book that is sure to have aspiring young dancers twirling and pirouetting along with the counting rhymes and sweet illustrations! The author does a lovely job of teaching dance terms while also entertaining. Beautifully done!
- Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, Author and Illustrator
10 Ballet Dancers is a precious children's book perfect for young dancers. I love the use of proper French terminology which is such an important part of a dancer's training."
- Elizabeth DiStasio-Waddell, Director of the Royal Academy of Ballet and Dance (New York)
This is a great way to introduce a young person to the world of dance/ballet. The illustrations are so pretty...This is going to be really fun and engaging for the little ones.
-Scott Bodily, MFA in Dance, Professional Dancer, Ballet Master
10 Ballet Dancers, a counting book made to delight the little dancer in your life, counts down through classic ballet moves until it reaches a special surprise at the end. A lovely book!
-Laura Bost, Author and Illustrator
2020-10-06
Ballet terms abound in this beautifully illustrated, advanced-concept counting book written by dance teacher and debut author Malek-Ahmadi.
Counting down from 10 to two, then zero, then back up to one, this book shows ballet students performing many familiar—and less familiar—moves and positions. As the story opens, all 10 dancers, depicted in a variety of skin tones and gender expressions, stand at or near the barre performing “Pliés, tendus, dégagés all looking fine. // One chaînés away and now there are // Nine.” As the students leave the room in a variety of moves, the rhyme scheme for each number in the countdown has an odd rhythm. The first line, which describes the remaining group of students, has no rhyming word. The second and third lines, which lead to the next number in the countdown, use a rhyming couplet typical of counting books. The text, full of French words and terms, may cause some young readers and their parents to stumble, but a partially illustrated glossary offers helpful pronunciation tips and translations. Gutkovskiy, whose action-packed ink-and-watercolor illustrations have appeared in books such as Bad Bad Dog (2020), accurately depicts the different positions and movements, making them recognizable to young dancers. A twist at the end, in which the students return to celebrate their teacher, leaves readers with a cheery tone.
A challenging, inventive tale that works best for young dancers.
