Dance Tanya - by Satomi Ichikawa

More than anything in the world, Tanya loves to dance. But when her mother says that she is too small to take dance lessons, Tanya puts on her tutu and surprises everyone with a very special recital of her own.

(35 pages. Paper)

Reviews:

My 3 and 6 year old daughters enjoy the story for the talkabout dancing and for the "little sister looks up to big sister" and "little sister feeling left out" themes. The adults in the family get misty-eyed over a little girl's discovery of the beauty of dance (if you've ever shed a tear of joy when Linnea is finally atop the bridge in Monet's Garden, you'll know what I mean). This will be one to save for the next generation :-)
 

This was a childhood favorite of mine, and the pages are tattered from reading it over and over. A young girl wants to be a dancer and is saddened because her older sister can take lessons, but she is too young. She looks up to her graceful old sister and dances with her, but wishes she herself could be in the spotlight...The book is a wonderful story for all ages, young and old. 
 

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3

Tanya, a vivacious preschooler, is bitten by the ballet bug before she is old enough to take lessons. She helps her big sister, Elise, practice and hangs around to watch Elise's class go through their jetes and plies . Best of all, Tanya likes to create her own dances either alone or in a pas de deux with her teddy (a ballerina bear, naturally). She does a Swan Lake which is beyond Petipa's dreams. "You have two dancers in your family," her grandmother tells her mother after a family recital. Her mother does not forget, and sees to it that Tanya starts ballet class as soon as she is old enough. This is a charming family story, showing strong and loving relationships all around. Tanya is an engaging little heroine who does not let her size undermine her determination to have her heart's desire. Ichikawa's illustrations are especially attractive, leaning heavily on muted colors with splashes of black, red, and brown. All this is placed in a pleasing format, creating a ballet story with wide appeal. -

Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library

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