Dance With Me

Dance With Me

In Dance with Me, a ballerina in a music box loves nothing more than to dance. But when the little girl who owns the box grows up, who will dance with the ballerina then?A gorgeous story about treasured possessions and the memories they hold.From School Library JournalPreS-Gr 1-A ballerina in a music box loves to dance each day with a little girl. But as the little girl grows older, she loses interest in the pastime. The ballerina tries to find a new dance companion, including toy versions of a bee, a turtle, and a leopard, but none of them wishes to dance with her. The little girl eventually closes the lid on the music box, leaving the ballerina locked away for many years. The story concludes with a new little girl, to whom the music box has been passed on, opening the box and dancing with the ballerina, much to the ballerina's delight. Harrison conveys a bittersweet tale about growing up from the perspective of the toys that are often left behind. Although the original little girl grows up and discards her once-beloved music box, the book ends on an upbeat note. Jones's illustrations, which feature soft lines and vibrant colors, successfully convey the graceful movements of the ballerina. Most striking is when the toy animals morph into their real-life counterparts, resulting in lifelike, detailed depictions. VERDICT In the same vein as Margery Williams's The Velveteen Rabbit, Emily Jenkins's "Toys Go Out" series, and Kate DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, this selection offers a somber yet thoughtful portrayal of life from a toy's point of view. Additional.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NYReview"I liked the illustrations and how, as she explores the bedroom, the animals she saw were not real animals, just toys or a backpack, but when she talks to them, they are real ... I would recommend this book to little kids who love ballerinas or like to do ballet." - Kids Book Buzz"Jones's illustrations, which feature soft lines and vibrant colors, successfully convey the graceful movements of the ballerina. Most striking is when the toy animals morph into their real-life counterparts, resulting in life-like, detailed depictions.??- School Library JournalAbout the Author Penny Harrison is a lifestyle journalist, garden writer, book reviewer and children's author. She has contributed to various Australian magazines, newspapers, guides and books, writing about everything from raising toddlers to raising chickens. Penny lives in a rambling old garden on the edge of the Yarra Valley with her husband and two young children, where she loves filling the house with books and music.Gwynneth Jones?rew all through her maths book at school, so left to study art at TAFE and then majored in Plant and Wildlife Illustration at the University of Newcastle. Since then, Gwynneth has been imagining and drawing madly, exhibiting and holding market stalls, and creating picture books.?s well as full-time art making, Gwynneth is also studying to?e an art therapist.