Thea Stilton and the Dancing Shadows (Geronimo Stilton: Thea Series)

From the Publisher

Praise for Geronimo Stilton books:
"Lightning pace and full-color design will hook kids in a flash." -- Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature - Claudia Mills

This time the five best-friend mice who call themselves the "Thea Sisters" are off to Milan to find out who is behind the apparent effort to rig several recent international classical ballet competitions. After all, if the results are not fixed, why do the talentless, lazy, arrogant performers from the mercenary Mice for Dance agency keep on winning? What follows is another installment in the mass market "Thea Stilton" series, with all of the by now extremely familiar features. Although the characters are referred to as "mouselets," with abundant references to whiskers and paws, they are drawn as having human bodies (except for occasional glimpses of protruding tails), human hair, human motions, and human facial expressions. The already blatant clues for solving the non-mysterious mystery are labeled for readers every few pages. For example, after a page of pictures showing the mice being followed around Milan ("Someone has been following them...do you see him?"), we are shown those same pictures with the suspicious figure circled in each one. On the next page, the question is posed, "The mouselets suspect that someone from Mice for Dance has been following them. Do you think they are right?" Um, that would be a yes—obviously. But it is fun to romp around the tourist sites of Milan in amiable mouse company and to get the chance to peek backstage at the fascinating and demanding world of ballet. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D.