Miss Lina's Ballerinas

October 11, 2010
In both its pictures and rhyming text, this book is in many ways a ballet-themed version of the Madeline books: "In a cozy white house, in the town of Messina,/ eight little girls studied dance with Miss Lina./ Christina, Edwina, Sabrina, Justina,/ Katrina, Bettina, Marina, and Nina." Davenier (The Very Fairy Princess) is in fine form, with predominantly pink watercolors, accented with crayon, that blend
soigné fluidity and slapstick comedy; while some grownups might quibble that her setting looks more Parisian than Sicilian, the spaces have a lyrical expansiveness reminiscent of an MGM musical. Maccarone's (the First Grade Friends series) story, which turns on the arrival of a ninth dancer (helpfully named Regina) who brings chaos to the corps' finely tuned "four lines of two," has a fairly flat narrative arc and near-instant resolution (Miss Lina quickly re-divides the girls into three lines of three). The girls' enthusiasm is undeniably infectious as they dance
"t the park, at the zoo, at the beach, and while shopping"; but while the book is a charmer, it's a bit of a letdown in the end. Ages 3–6.

Starred review from December 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 1-Miss Lina has eight students in her house in Messina: Christina, Edwina, Sabrina, Justina, Katrina, Bettina, Marina, and Nina. In four lines of two, they dance doing math, while they read, at the park, at the zoo, and at the beach. But with the addition of a new student, Regina, the girls are unable to perform in their familiar formation and chaos ensues. When Miss Lina patiently instructs her ballerinas to arrange themselves in a new configuration, order is restored: "everything's perfect now there are nine, /because dancing in three rows of three is divine...." The delightful colored pencil and pastel illustrations, with an appropriate dose of pink, beautifully complement the simple, rhyming text. The children are full of movement and expression, and the setting has a Parisian feel. Reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline, this will be a crowd pleaser with aspiring ballerinas and also makes a great introduction to a math lesson on number groupings.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2010
Preschool-G *Starred Review* With echoes of Bemelmans Madeline, this buoyant picture book transports readers to another European city where a troop of girls lives under the care of a benevolent teacher: In a cozy white house, in the town of Messina, / eight little girls studied dance with Miss Lina. / Christina, Edwina, Sabrina, Justina, / Katrina, Bettina, Marina, and Nina. Accustomed to dancing their way around town in four lines of two, the children are flummoxed when a ninth girl joins their class. Thrown off their stride, all nine dancers and their teacher end up sprawling on the studio floor. Fortunately, Miss Lina knows just what to do, restoring order with three lines of three. The rhythmic rhyming text flows beautifully throughout the book, except at the climax, when it slows down the reader by changing the pattern of stressed syllables in the verse, metrically mimicking the abashed, baffled, befuddled state of the dancers. Capturing the girls grace and joy as they dance through each day, Daveniers free-spirited drawings and color washes add a sense of music as well as movement to the scenes. Beyond the math concept that connects it to the curriculum, this picture book is a pleasure to read aloud and a beguiling choice for any young dancer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)