  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2014 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 05/15/2014 *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. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
 |