Ella Bella ballerina and the sleeping beauty

Ballet and fairy tales, a sure-fire combination for romantically minded young readers, receive the friendliest of treatments in this handsome, oversize volume. Ella Bella is captivated when Madame Rosa instructs the class ("my darlings") to "imagine you are fairies" and plays the music from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet. Intrigued, Ella stays after class, opens Madame Rosa's music box and, "just like magic," the music starts and she dances herself into the fairy tale. The Lilac Fairy guides her through the various dramas and happy ending. Mayhew's (Katie Meets the Impressionists) light touch keeps the story from being overblown or fussy: when Ella sees the spindle being proffered to Princess Aurora, she "remembered the bad fairy's spell. 'Don't touch it!' she called. But Aurora did not hear." The breezy, dynamic lines of his illustrations, as well as the subdued colors, make the magical turn of events seem entirely natural. While Mayhew offers no surprises, his easygoing delivery is bound to engage anyone whose imagination is inspired by music, dancing, princes and princesses. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

K-Gr 3-After her ballet class, a girl waits on a deserted stage, listening to Madame Rosa's music box play melodies from The Sleeping Beauty. The Lilac Fairy appears in a stream of lavender light and takes Ella Bella into the ballet, flying from scene to scene, watching yet being part of the story. The shadowy theater becomes bright, and Mayhew's illustrations become more dramatic. When Princess Aurora pricks her finger on the spindle and falls asleep, the Lilac Fairy casts a spell so that everyone sleeps for a hundred years. Time magically passes, and they visit another kingdom to find a prince, who awakens the princess with a kiss. After the royal wedding, the music ends and Ella Bella is alone on the stage once more. Madame Rosa finds her and promises that the music box will play a different tune next time. This light and lovely book will hold little girls in its thrall. Add Tchaikovsky's music to set the stage for a lively read-aloud.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.