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Explores the life and work of the nineteenth-century French artist who devoted most of his artwork to the subject of ballet.

A quartet of titles challenge readers to look beyond the basics when it comes to artwork. For Susan Goldman Rubin's picture book biography Degas and the Dance: The Painter and the Petits Rats, Perfecting Their Art, created in partnership with the School of American Ballet and the American Federation of Arts, readers go backstage at the Paris Opera to explore the genesis of Edgar Degas's most recognizable series. More than 30 works are reproduced, including The Dance Class (1874) and Dancers Practicing at the Barre (1877). Numerous preliminary sketches reveal the artist's creative process.

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Gr 2-5-Degas created more than a thousand ballet pictures during his career. He spent hours behind the scenes at the Paris Opera and had dancers pose in his studio. Most of them were poor, working-class girls, hence the nickname "petits rats." He illustrated the hard work behind the finished product, showing ballerinas rehearsing, warming up, stretching, and even waiting before an exam. Just as the dancers practiced the same positions over and over again, so did Degas draw them repeatedly. Full-color reproductions of sketches and preparatory drawings are included as well as finished paintings in oil and pastel. Rubin's narrative focuses exclusively on the artist and the dance, with additional biographical material included at the end. Quotes from the painter and his friends enliven the text. The bibliography includes books about ballet as well as about Degas. This is a lovely book, one for dancers as much as for art appreciation.-Robin L. Gibson, Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.