Ballet Kids

In a gentle introduction to ballet, a little boy and his friends gather for their dance class to learn some moves—and get excited about their debut performance.

Stretchy leggings on? Ballet shoes in the bag? Let’s go! Join Thomas and his fellow dancers as they’re welcomed into the studio for their Saturday ballet class. There are feet positions to perfect and steps to learn—first position, plie, up on your toes, relevé—and turns and jumps, too. Everyone is getting ready for their first performance, The Nutcracker—and now it’s time to pick out costumes! This warm celebration of dancing, a companion to Holly Sterling’s Karate Kids, is inspired by the author’s time learning ballet as a young child. It’s sure to be a hit with little ones taking a class, free-form dancers at home, and those who are hoping to be a ballet kid one day, too.

Holly Sterling is the author-illustrator of Karate Kids and Hiccups! and the illustrator of the 15 Things Not to Do with a . . . series by Margaret McAllister and the Everybody Feels series by Moira Butterfield. An instructor of illustration and design at the University of Sunderland, Holly Sterling lives in England.