“TALLULAH’S SOLO,” by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger, Clarion Books, Hardcover, May 1, 2012, $16.99 (ages 4 and up)
Remember Tallulah, the little girl who desperately wanted a tutu? That charming little girl is back in “Tallulah’s Solo,” a fine follow-up that really captures the love of dance.
Tallulah’s much more dedicated to dance than her little brother, Beckett, who always seems to be playing around during class. She concentrates well and practices all the time. In fact she’s certain she’ll be chosen to dance a solo in her school’s winter recital, “The Frog Prince.” So when Beckett is chosen as the frog, Tallulah can’t help but feel jealous. He’ll get all the attention while she’s dancing in the background, Tallulah thinks. But when Beckett needs her help, Tallulah can’t stay upset. After all, Beckett did start taking ballet because of her.
Once again, Marilyn Singer has captured the joy that comes from dance. Illustrator Alexandra Boiger picked up where she left off, depicting ballet positions correctly while still presenting them how at child’s execution level. While I enjoyed the whole book, my favorite illustration is on the title page — Tallulah on eleve with her back to the audience, her arms gracefully extended, and a faint smile on her face as she looks over her shoulder with joy.
