Monday, March 28, 2011

Angelina Ballerina

Angelina Ballerina, Katharine Holabird, ill. Helen Craig

Some people tend to avoid the books which have become TV series, often I suspect because they have seen the TV series first and aren't that impressed.

Thankfully, we discovered Angelina Ballerina in book form first, and we quite like her (I don't like her as much in the various TV series).

With two girls after a boy, it took us a long time to move out of the Thomas the Tank Engine book phase and find girly books. Angelina adds a very girly dimension to any household. The idea of someone (or somemouse) growing up to be a ballerina appeals to most little girls at some stage, and these books are lovely.

While the stories themselves are good, I think the real strength of these books is the illustrations. I doubt they would be as popular without Helen Craig's brilliant, detailed drawings. They capture Angelina's whole life and details of her home and village.

Our Miss 3.5 currently loves Angelina's Birthday so much we read it every night and she can recite almost half of it - how lovely she is to listen to!


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