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The Sleeping Beauty: My First Ballet Book
The Sleeping My First Ballet Book retells the classic story and introduces little ones to the beautiful art of ballet. Jennifer Adams’ engaging text alongside adorable illustrations by Corey Egbert introduces little ones to The Sleeping Beauty story of kings, queens, fairies, and dancing. My First Ballet Books encourage babies to Be Creative, Be Active, and Be Brilliant through the classic art of ballet.
22 pages, Board Book
Published September 10, 2019
About the author
Jennifer Adams
182 books199 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.
Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.
Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.
(bio from author's website)
Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.
Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.
Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.
(bio from author's website)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 22, 2021
This had more of a story but wasn't really about Ballet. I mean, there are different steps, positions, etc. Also I was expecting Oliver's illustrations. It's sad that the set has a different illustrator.
December 19, 2022
The Sleeping Beauty
A ballet with a serious pedigree, The Sleeping Beauty a story of love defying the odds. The Sleeping Beauty is firmly embedded in the world of fairy-tale, and this production makes the decision to temper a landscape of fairies and storybook characters with real hits of emotion. This is ballet in its purest form. We find ourselves in Act I, at a Royal celebration. It is Princess Aurora’s christening, and she is being given gifts by visiting fairies. We are also introduced to the Lilac Fairy who becomes our guide. A sunny, reassuring presence.
The happy occasion takes a sudden dark turn, as another fairy arrives. Carabosse has not been invited, and she does not take kindly to being snubbed. She bursts onto stage and curses the baby girl. She gives Aurora a spindle, saying that one day she will prick her finger on it and die. The Lilac Fairy softens the curse. Aurora will not die. If she pricks her finger, she will instead fall into a deep sleep. Only a Prince’s kiss will wake her.
Following Aurora’s discovery of the spindle, we fast forward 100 years. Out walking with his clique, Prince Florimund is the Playboy Prince, already tired of casual flirtations. He is ready to fall in love, and the Lilac Fairy spots her opportunity.
It is sensitivity over power, as Aurora but beauty is no delicate flower. This is a modern girl, ready for adventure. As the Prince and Princess find each other, dancing with a slow-burn sensuality.
In staging classical ballet, the question is whether we give preference to the canon over contemporary innovation. As well as classics being safe bets, there is an argument for keeping tradition alive. Not unchanged and under glass, but reimagined. The best choreography gives dancers room to breathe, and by creating an emotionally resonant Sleeping Beauty, a new layer is added to characters we thought we already knew.
The sense of satisfaction we feel in watching something familiar is heightened at times of crisis. Sleeping Beauty wraps itself around us, bringing comfort. It may not have the psychological depth of Giselle or Swan Lake, but The Sleeping Beauty remains a favourite because we know what to expect, and we get it every time. Tradition – with a twist.
A ballet with a serious pedigree, The Sleeping Beauty a story of love defying the odds. The Sleeping Beauty is firmly embedded in the world of fairy-tale, and this production makes the decision to temper a landscape of fairies and storybook characters with real hits of emotion. This is ballet in its purest form. We find ourselves in Act I, at a Royal celebration. It is Princess Aurora’s christening, and she is being given gifts by visiting fairies. We are also introduced to the Lilac Fairy who becomes our guide. A sunny, reassuring presence.
The happy occasion takes a sudden dark turn, as another fairy arrives. Carabosse has not been invited, and she does not take kindly to being snubbed. She bursts onto stage and curses the baby girl. She gives Aurora a spindle, saying that one day she will prick her finger on it and die. The Lilac Fairy softens the curse. Aurora will not die. If she pricks her finger, she will instead fall into a deep sleep. Only a Prince’s kiss will wake her.
Following Aurora’s discovery of the spindle, we fast forward 100 years. Out walking with his clique, Prince Florimund is the Playboy Prince, already tired of casual flirtations. He is ready to fall in love, and the Lilac Fairy spots her opportunity.
It is sensitivity over power, as Aurora but beauty is no delicate flower. This is a modern girl, ready for adventure. As the Prince and Princess find each other, dancing with a slow-burn sensuality.
In staging classical ballet, the question is whether we give preference to the canon over contemporary innovation. As well as classics being safe bets, there is an argument for keeping tradition alive. Not unchanged and under glass, but reimagined. The best choreography gives dancers room to breathe, and by creating an emotionally resonant Sleeping Beauty, a new layer is added to characters we thought we already knew.
The sense of satisfaction we feel in watching something familiar is heightened at times of crisis. Sleeping Beauty wraps itself around us, bringing comfort. It may not have the psychological depth of Giselle or Swan Lake, but The Sleeping Beauty remains a favourite because we know what to expect, and we get it every time. Tradition – with a twist.
Read
January 14, 2021This is a wonderful board book with an easy retelling of the ballet version of The Sleeping Beauty. I love the vintage-style pictures that bring to mind the British ballet stars Margot Fonteyn and Moira Shearer of the 1940s and 50s.
I especially loved the images of the Lilac Fairy. There was so much energy in such a simple illustration!
A good introduction to what might seem like a long and complex theatre show.
I especially loved the images of the Lilac Fairy. There was so much energy in such a simple illustration!
A good introduction to what might seem like a long and complex theatre show.
March 13, 2024
Adams Adventure #40
Sometimes expectations go awry the title suggested this would be a book looking at ballet terms with allusions to Sleeping Beauty, it was in fact just a retelling o Sleeping Beauty and had nothing to do with ballet at all except for drawings of people that could have been prancing about the place, but equally could have just been a bunch of ponces.
Sometimes expectations go awry the title suggested this would be a book looking at ballet terms with allusions to Sleeping Beauty, it was in fact just a retelling o Sleeping Beauty and had nothing to do with ballet at all except for drawings of people that could have been prancing about the place, but equally could have just been a bunch of ponces.
September 8, 2019
This is a great introduction for little ones getting to know the art and story of ballet. Super sweet illustrations and a story that is easy to following. This Baby-lit book will have many young ones wanting to take ballet and to see a performance.
October 1, 2022
Todas esas reseñas quejándose de que los "primers" de Babylit no cuentan la historia... pues hoy soy yo la que se queja porque en este libro sí cuentan la historia pero no dicen casi nada de ballet, me quedo con los "primers". 😆
Read
June 4, 2020Read aloud, appropriately enough, in a French-style cafe which had the book on display.
August 15, 2021
An introductory book on Sleeping Beauty.
February 19, 2024
Cute pictures, good introduction to ballet stories. I kind of wish this series did ballets that aren't also ferrie tales though. Not very many words on each page which is good.
February 26, 2024
A great little primer for the Sleeping Beauty ballet for little ones and bigger kids alike
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews