My Cat Does Ballet

by Robert Heidbreder, Matt Schu (Illustrator)

Overview

A boy shares his love of ballet with his cat in this adorable picture book that leaps and glides through ballet terms, famous dancers, and the special bond between a young dancer and his pet.

Some cats pounce, snooze, or climb up the curtains. But one boy has a pet cat that does ballet, jumping after flies in perfect grands jetés and gliding across floors with smooth glissades. Perhaps they can teach you and your cat to do ballet too! This joyful and hilariously illustrated story is a charming pas de deux for felines and their friends.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665917032
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Robert Heidbreder was born in Quincy, Illinois, and later moved to Vancouver, BC, where he became an award-winning primary school teacher. Living in Vancouver, he discovered his love of ballet. He attends as many performances as he and his wife can. Their two cats sadly have to stay at home. My Cat Does Ballet is his twenty-first picture book. Visit him at RobertHeidbreder.com.

Matt Schu is the illustrator of Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation by C.E. Winters and My Cat Does Ballet by Robert Heidbreder. Due to growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he draws a lot of trees, houses, and cloudy skies. He lives with his cat in Portland, Oregon, and she can do an impressive tour en l’air. Visit him at Matt-Schu.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Using theatrical lighting in a limited palette of blues, oranges, and blacks, and with details etched with a strong graphic line, Schu sets the stage for a dramatic nighttime household performance. Prolific poet-author Heidbreder’s fanciful text is enlivened with the classic French terms for ballet moves. . . This friendly feline fantasy will be a fun and informative romp for ballet buffs and cat fanciers alike."

Booklist

10/01/2023

PreS-Gr 1—A young boy and his friends love to discuss their cats and their antics. Some cats climb on the curtains, some can turn on the faucet, and some shred toilet paper. But the boy insists that his cat does ballet! Believing his friends are jealous of the feat, he organizes a "Corps de Chat," a ballet group for cats. His friends attend with cats of all shapes and sizes. Sure enough, when the music starts, every cat begins to dance. Except for one. The boy's cat falls fast asleep on the couch. A cute and funny celebration of feline friends and their quirks, this book is great for cat lovers and children who are interested in ballet. Schu's illustrations depict a limited color palette and contrasting light and shadow, contributing to the theatrical feel of the book. Engaging illustrations coupled with short and humorous prose would make this a great read-aloud. Back matter includes information about ballet terms and famous ballet dancers, who inspired some of the side characters in the story. VERDICT A creative celebration of dance, friendly competition, cats and their gifts.—Jillian Girardeau

School Library Journal

2023-08-26
Everyone’s cat has talent, but ballet?

A bespectacled, light-skinned child and several other kids share their feline friends’ hidden talents. “Christian says his cat climbs up the bedroom curtains.” Maria’s can slide down the banister. Misty’s knows how to work the kitchen faucet. “That’s all cool,” the young narrator says, “But my cat does ballet!" Grands jetés, glissades, tours en l’air—he does it all! The other children (except poor Hilary, who has only a dog to brag about) keep going on about their cats’ talents. Margot’s pilfers stuffed toys. Misha’s rides the vacuum. That’s all well and good, the narrator goes on, but…ballet! Don’t the other kids believe the narrator? Are they jealous? The narrator invites the children (and their cats) over for ballet lessons. Everyone takes first position as the music begins. They let the cats go, and all the cats perform ballet—except the narrator’s…who takes a nap. Heidbreder’s simple text intersperses the names of various ballet moves, artfully demonstrated by the puss in question in rose-colored spotlights. Relying on a limited palette, Schu’s delightfully whimsical illustrations are cartoonish but realistic, a perfect match for the story. The members of the racially diverse child cast are all named after famous dancers who get paragraph-long biographies at the close, followed by a description of each ballet move.

A fine, feline-centric introduction to the dance. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews