Belinda Begins Ballet

Belinda the Ballerina

by Amy Young

Before Belinda was Belinda the Ballerina , before she was Belinda in Paris , and way before she was Belinda and the Glass Slipper , she was a little girl who wanted to dance. But there were two things standing in the way? her left foot and her right foot. Belinda?s teacher, Mrs. Rhino, chooses Belinda to play the clown in a skit for the school talent show. Her feet are perfect for floppy clown shoes. But after seeing an older girl soar big across the stage as a ballerina, Belinda has other plans.... This fourth book about everyone?s favorite ballerina is sure to delight little ballerinas with big dreams.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 14, 2008

About the author

Amy Young trained as a fine artist at Yale and received an MFA in painting from Indiana University as well as a law degree from Harvard. She lives in Spring Lake, Michigan.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sure the author meant well but this book fell flat with me.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dance ballet too, and frankly having big feet is NOT an asset! But I love the Belinda books and Young's message of doing something you love and letting your talent shine through.

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't tell by the cover, but this book features a talented young Black ballerina named Camille who inspires Belinda to learn to dance. My four-year-old loves ballet books and it's been a bit of a challenge to find good ones with diverse ballet dancers. (I'm talking all kind of diversity - gender, race, body type, etc.) Most of the ballet picture books she picks out at the library are about animals or slim white girls.

There's a mean teacher in this one who for some reason really wants Belinda to be a clown in a talent show. I guess she thinks people with big feet must be clowns? Explaining this lady's clown obsession would be a whole other book. The upshot is that Belinda learns to follow her passion instead of following the directions of a bullying teacher.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belinda is a little girl with big, big feet. And although one of her teachers wants to give her a role in a play that is undesirable, Belinda follows her heart and begins ballet.

I didn't think I'd like this story, but it was really sweet. I think it had a nice message of friendship and following one's heart.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming opener to the Belinda stories. What do you do when you're born with ginormous feet? Let someone take away your dignity by forcing you into the role of a clown, or learn to soar like your role model in ballet? This is a book about determination, finding what you love, working hard, and loving yourself.

[Shihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is one of the best children's books I have ever read. I read this book in Chinese but I would really love to read it in English but when I was reading the book I discovered that the moral of the story is you can do anything if you try hard. I really like this book because of the plot of Belinda wanting to dance however she has to overcome one big problem which is her feet. I highly suggest people to read this book if you ever felt the same way as Belinda or just simply want to enjoy a book like this

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not stand it. The little girl has enormous feet and is forced to act as a clown.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belinda was born with big feet. Seriously BIG. Everyone said she would grow into them, but she didn't; her feet kept right on growing. Sometimes that was a good thing (reaching the cookie jar on a high shelf was easier) and sometimes it was a bad thing (jumping rope was difficult).

When the talent show comes around, Mrs. Rhino takes one look at Belinda's feet and decides she should be a clown. Belinda hates it, but she can't argue with Mrs. Rhino. Feeling miserable, after rehearsal she slips into the auditorium to be alone. On stage, a girl named Camille is dancing ballet, and Belinda is enthralled. She watches carefully, then goes home and practices what she saw. Every day Belinda is humiliated at "clown practice", but she always feels better after she watches Camille rehearse. When the talent show comes, Belinda surprises even herself.

I think I like this one because I've seen children singled out or embarrassed because of their bodies before, so I sympathized with Belinda. She had a talent, but no one could see beyond her feet to find it.

[Shannon Brasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. This book was initially picked up at the local public library by my three year old because it has a ballerina on the cover and she is obsessed with dance and ballerinas. However, it is a great book with a fantastic story for all children, not just girls. Belinda, as you can see by the cover, has very large feet and can see the good as well as the bad in her situation. One day in school, (and this is my one issue with this book) the drama teacher (who has a nose similar to a rhino) begins to practically bully Belinda into being the clown in the school talent show due to her large feet. During rehearsals, Belinda watches a ballerina dance and falls in love with dance and comes to realize that her larger feet would actually come in handy in dance. By learning to love her feet and see that different can be beautiful and special, Belinda is able to overcome Mrs. Rhino and eventually become so proficient in ballet that she wins the talent show the following year.

[Holly Letson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this at We Give Books (http://www.wegivebooks.org/books/beli...). Such a wonderful story!

Belinda was born with big feet, which causes her teacher, Mrs. Rhino, to make her a clown in the talent show. She has to practice every day, doing things she does not enjoy doing. Luckily, after rehearsals, she catches Camille doing her ballet practices for the talent shows.
Belinda learns to do ballet by watching Camille from the shadows, and does her ballet in the clown suit during the talent show. Camille wins the talent show, but her encouragement wills Belinda to continue studying ballet. Belinda ends up getting so good at ballet that she wins the talent show the very next year!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about Belinda was tiny, except for one thing - her enormous feet. We are not talking just regular large feet; we are talking feet so large you could ski with them.

When Talent Show time comes around, it is not all fun and games for this sweet young girl when Mrs. Rhino thinks that her only talent appears to be that of a clown.
Then one day sad Belinda happens upon a ballet dancer. Seeing her float on the stage sparks an idea and a smile for Belinda. Maybe, just maybe.

Sometimes you have to see in yourself what other do not.

This story brought a tear to my eye. To see a young child grow her own wings is an inspiration to all.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. Belinda was born with really big feet. She is told to be a clown for the school talent show because of her big feet. Belinda doesn't want to be a clown after rehearsals she goes into the auditorium and watches another girl dancing. Then, Belinda goes home and practices the ballet she watched. Instead of being a funny clown for the talent show she dances so gracefully. She's a natural dancer.

[Laudys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't understand why the teacher was hell-bent in making Belinda feel miserable. Obviously the little kid wasn't happy, how couldn't she see that?

Also, the illustrations were pretty. Nice style.

But I think there was a page missing somewhere since the spreads weren't next to each other. Maybe the author prepared them that way and later when the book was armed a page needed to be added, throwing everything out of place?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone with big feet, I appreciate Belinda's determination to overcome stereotypes. How dare her teacher make her the clown. Hooray for Belinda's performance! (If only I could dance... but at least my feet help me in tennis.)

[Jenny Forgay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lovely Belinda began her story way before her trip to Paris. Your little ones are sure to enjoy Belinda reaching for her dreams. Great book to use when teaching your students "to reach for the sky."

[Erin Chambers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Teaches that you can take something about yourself that isn't "perfect" and turn it into something wonderful. Don't let what someone else says or thinks bring you down about it , embrace it and turn it into something positive.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book to my PreK kids and when the character named Camille was introduced, I was beyond excited because there was a little girl in one of the classes named Camille - and she looks like the character. Perfect. Rare reading magic.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this one - not just for aspiring ballerinas either. The lesson - don't let someone tell you what you are. Do what you're best at. I love reading this one to my kids.

[Boni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Young's illustrations are fabulous. The original Belinda The Ballerina is still my favorite, but this one jetes into second place :)
Adorable!

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be an autobiography of Peggy Hill's long lost twin.

"Remember the clumsier you are, the better. Just let those big feet do their thing."

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to be a ballerina too!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about staying true to yourself.

[Tina B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"ballet, dance, talent, differences, Belinda was born with big feet"

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

be who you want to be not what someone else wants you to be.

[Joe Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belinda before she became a ballerina learning to make her dreams come true.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

2-3 stars for this. I didn't like how the teacher treated Belinda, but I liked that she found something she enjoyed and practiced at it.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

blah! I really didn't like how this little girl thought she "had no choice" but to be the clown like the teacher said, blah blah blah

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belinda is told to be a clown for the school talent show for her big feet. After the agonizing rehearsals, Belinda watches a beautiful dancer. She goes home every night and tries the dance herself.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jordan's Mimi read this with her, and to watch her face (Jordan) as her sweet grandmother told this tale melted my heart. I love to hear my mother read, and I love to see my daughter love a story.

[Janin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great story to remember to pursue what YOU love--not what someone else decides you should do. Good for her. (And that teacher needs a swift kick in the rump.)