Deer Dancer

March 17, 2014
The team behind Mud and Red Rubber Book Day return with another story celebrating a child’s connection to nature—in this case, the child in question is a young dancer who practices outdoors in a spot “that’s green and grass, a place I thought that no one knew.” Dressed in tights, tutu, tank top, and T-shirt (it’s clear that, in addition to a love of dance, she has a strong sense of personal style), the girl is startled by the appearance of a deer; they size each other up before the deer disappears into the woods. During a second chance meeting, girl and deer share a dance together—a moment heightened by the almost supernatural greens and yellows Stringer uses to paint this secluded forest refuge. Her stylized acrylics emphasize the deer’s lithesome grace, too, giving it a coyly pointed snout and spindly legs that look permanently en pointe. Ray’s verselike prose captures both the way the girl finds inspiration in nature and the joy she finds in dancing when no one is watching her—no one two-legged, anyway. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 1, 2014
A young ballerina finds her muse in a woodland creature. A raven-haired, unconventionally dressed young girl has a secret place in a forest clearing where she practices the steps that she is learning in ballet class. Then one day a buck shows his face, and the two stare intently at each other in complete silence. When she is back in class, she wonders if her teacher has also seen that deer, as she tells her class to "Hold your head as if you're wearing antlers." The young girl struggles with her steps and positions, so she returns to her hideaway. So does the deer, and with a great smile on her face, the girl feels "[A] song to dance"--and maybe the deer does, too. Ray's brief text lyrically sings of the beauties of dance and nature. Stringer's lush acrylic paintings depict the forest in sumptuous shades of sunshine yellow and emerald green, the girl and deer each captured in swirling scenes of graceful movement. Vignettes in the ballet studio, painted against a white background, skillfully show young students intently practicing. How wonderful to connect the structured world of ballet with the free-form world of an animal at play. An ode to joyous dance. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Feeling a bit discouraged about her skills as a dancer, a little girl finds inspiration in a magical encounter with a deer in a peaceful clearing. Her ballet teacher has instructed her students to hold their heads as if they are wearing antlers, so it seems as though the two were destined to meet. They leap and dance around the meadow together, exulting in their ability to move with liveliness, strength, and grace. The deer eventually departs, leaving the girl to rejoice in her newfound confidence and to dance alone. Stringer's artwork is nothing short of mesmerizing. The shades of green saturating the book are rich and energizing. The deer looks squarely at readers on one page, to breathtaking effect. The little girl wears a sparkly tutu with a T-shirt, leggings, and high tops, so she will be recognizable to many readers. Ray's spare writing is lovely and appropriate in its quietness, reflecting the hushed awe and respect of the little girl for her dance partner and their stage. This is a spectacular book, celebrating the outdoors, dance, and the beauty inside each of us.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2014
Preschool-G *Starred Review* This utterly charming tale begins with a girl dancing in a glen. Then a deer appears. Closer and closer he comes until he leaps back toward the woods. The next spread startles, because now the narrator is at the barre in ballet class, practicing. But has her teacher met a deer somewhere? Hold your head as if you're wearing antlers, she instructs. The truth is this student ballerina needs more practice. So she takes to her special spot in the forest once more, this time wearing twig antlers, and the deer reappears. Together, without words, they begin their dance. They leap and they twirl, and even after the deer retreats, our dark-haired dancer continues, skipping, across the pages, until it is time for her to leave the woods, although she continues to picture her deer cavorting with his friends. Ray's evocative text has a subtle message about listening to the music in your heart. On the page, the words whirl in tandem with the marvelous art that recalls picture books from an earlier time, reminiscent perhaps of the works of Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. The lithe deer, especially, echoes images of a common motif in the art deco period. Yet this beautifully crafted piece of bookmaking never feels dated, but rather timeless. Together, children and adults will revel in this excursion to a world where all is possible when no one is looking.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)