Little Ballet Star Author:Adele Geras On Tilly’s birthday, her mother takes her to see the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Arriving early, they meet Aunt Gina (who dances the lead role), and she takes Tilly backstage to see the dancers warming up and putting on their makeup. Then, she dons her present (a fairy costume) in the wardrobe department. Tilly joins her mother in the audience t... more »o watch the ballet, but after the final bows, Gina invites her niece on stage to dance with her, while the orchestra plays “Happy Birthday,” and audience members applaud. A sequel to Time for Ballet (2004), which was also narrated by Tilly, this picture book will charm aspiring young dancers. The large format allows plenty of space for the expressive pencil illustrations, tinted with washes in pastel shades. The story’s ending may be unrealistic, but wish fulfillment has its place, and this picture book offers the stuff that daydreams are made of.« less