Ballet

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3Four series entries that survey popular dance forms around the globe. In nine double-page chapters, each book introduces history, style, technique, training, and presentation. The print is large and the margins are generous, but the vocabulary level exceeds what the format would suggest. The dance, as well as the more difficult words, is bolded, phonetically spelled, and listed in a glossary. This method to aid pronunciation distracts, clutters the text, and creates the look of a school reader. The author's inconsistent inclusion of terms in the glossary confuses its intent as a source for dance terminology. The 10 captioned photographs per text represent mostly novice dancers warming up or practicing basic elements. This may have been to allow young readers to identify with the performers, but the result is poor form, not the beautiful ideal. This problem is most notable in Gymnastics, a sport that has produced Olympic, world, and national champions, with none represented here. Readers are exposed to the mechanics of being a dancer, but not the source of attraction-exquisite visuals. The series is not a worthy showcase for this art form. Pass on it.Abigail Jane Goldberg, Brooklyn Public Library