Review by Booklist Review
In this easy-reader picture book, Grace wants to dance. Unfortunately, she is terrible at it. Outfitted in a pink tutu and ballet slippers, she valiantly tries, but her attempts in class leave her face down on the floor. Her fellow ballet students gather around her in disdain and point to the door, commanding, Give up, Grace. Saddened, Grace goes home and comforts herself by painting pictures in the company of her very amiable cat, which it happens she is very good at. Then she gets an idea Grace returns to the dance studio with her paints and ends up impressing her mean former classmates with her large-scale set designs. Parkinson's art, a combination of pen and ink and Photoshop, is bright and bouncy, but the book's message about seeking approval from mean girls is less than ideal. Fortunately, Grace uncovers a new talent and is happy dancing on her own and with her cat in the end. Pair with Mo Willems' Elephants Cannot Dance (2009) for a different take on bad dancing.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Grace, whose name is quite deceiving, decides to become a dancer. She quickly realizes she is not the best at ballet and becomes sad. Drawing always lifts her spirits, though, and she begins to develop an idea as she starts drawing: she decides to design sets for the other dancers. Happily, she doesn't give up dancing, despite the fact that she's not the best. The simple, one sentence text per page is perfect for emerging readers. The pen-and-ink illustrations are a great addition and help support the simple text. VERDICT The newest addition in the "I Like to Read" series is a great purchase for early reader collections everywhere.-Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Despite her name, Grace is a clumsy dancer. When the other girls in ballet class criticize her, she turns to art. To Grace's surprise and delight, the girls love the backdrop she creates for them. The text is short and simple, but the quiet story lacks tension. Cartoony illustrations have a childlike quality that mirrors Grace's own art. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Grace is just not graceful.Little Grace takes dance class and tries very hard to perform basic ballet steps along with her classmates. Alas, after one too many falls, the other girls show her the door. But all is not lost for the pink-tutu-clad former ballerina. She changes outfits, going for a more eclectic, bohemian look, takes out her crayons and paper, andwith the assistance of her catdoes what she does best: She draws. Ballet, like the other performing arts, is not just the dancers. Scenery and backdrops are required, and therein Grace finds her forte. She is happy, and so are the girls who perform in front of her pink castles. And she keeps dancing although not on stage; her cat now sports the pink tutu in their private pas de deux. Parkinson's text is both enjoyable to read aloud and basic enough for emerging readers to tackle successfully, with its simple, declarative statements and repetition of words. The digitally manipulated pen-and-ink illustrations are lively and expressive. The girls and the cat all have exaggeratedly large eyes that convey just what they are feeling. There is more than one way to shine on stage, as Grace happily attests. (Early reader. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
