Angelina's Cinderella

September 1, 2015
The ballerina mouse and her friends take their show on the road. Angelina and her fellow ballet students board a little blue bus to present the Cinderella Dance Tour in towns all over Mouseland. Angelina is happy to be featured in the starring role, but some of her fellow student performers are not in such good spirits. There are mishaps on stage, lost props, upset stomachs, uncomfortable beds, and a good dose of homesickness. On the way to their final destination, their bus becomes mired in the mud after a rainstorm, and the scenery is ruined. Not to worry. Their hostess, Countess Von Whiskers, suggests a visit to her castle gardens, where Angelina is inspired by Cinderella's magical pumpkin. She and the other mouselings gather flowers and vines to re-create everything they will need to dance under the stars for their grand finale. Angelina's fans will enjoy this different take on the ballet world that is not so much a retelling of the classic fairy tale as a gentle glimpse into the travails of a traveling troupe. Craig's signature watercolors are the ideal medium for the pretty scenery, flowers, and dancing mice. It's one more satisfying adventure for Angelina and her many followers. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-In the latest installment in the series, Angelina and friends are touring Mouseland and dancing Cinderella. Touring with the ballet troupe is fun but tiring for the mouselings who deal with lost wands, homesickness, tired toes, and a final tragedy in which the entire set is ruined during a storm. Luckily, the final stop for the tour is at the beautiful Von Whiskers Castle, where Angelina and her ingenious mouse friends are able to use the flowers in the garden to build a new set for the final performance. Illustrations and story line for this installment are a carbon copy of those in other books in this series. VERDICT Purchase where Angelina and her twinkle-toed friends have a following.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA

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