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Ballet Bunnies #1
Ballet Bunnies #1: The New Class
Learning to ballet dance is harder than Millie expected. The other dancers in the class aren't very nice to her either. But just when she's thinking that maybe ballet isn't for her after all, Millie meets the ballet bunnies! They live hidden in the ballet school, using what they find to make their home-ballet shoes for beds, upside down cups for tables-and secretly take the ballet classes with the humans. Maybe the ballet bunnies can help Millie master some news
ballet skills after all!
ballet skills after all!
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 26, 2020
Een zeer mooi kinderboek! Lees hier waar het over gaat en mijn mening: https://axellesbooks.wordpress.com/20...
February 20, 2022
This was cute, but less happy than I expected. There's a lot of "this teacher is mean, these kids are mean" and I don't love that, but I guess the ultimate lesson was that (spoiler alert) she decides to keep trying anyway. Probably a good lesson for kids.
January 11, 2022
First sentence: Millie had been dreaming of going to Miss Luisa's School of Dance for months now. So on her sixth birthday, when Mom surprised her with ballet lessons as a gift, she screamed so loudly with joy that she woke up the neighbor's dog.
Premise/plot: Millie loves, loves, loves the idea of learning ballet. But when she starts her lessons, she finds it disappointing and frustrating. She is the ONLY ONE in her class that is a brand-new beginner to ballet. Every other person in the class has been dancing ballet for years--or years and years and years--as the case may be. How can she be anything other than discouraged when she's so very far behind and out of her league. It doesn't help that a few of the students are less than thrilled that someone with no skills/few skills is now in their class and being partnered with them. Of course, one of the girls is just a BULLY pure and simple to anyone and everyone.
What makes Millie consider sticking with ballet is her discovery of the BALLET BUNNIES. Dolly, Fifi, Pod, and Trixie are BUNNIES that live at the dance studio. They help Millie out by a) being her friend b) encouraging her to stick with it and c) teaching her some ballet.
My thoughts: This is the first in a new series. I thought the bunnies were all kinds of adorable. I'm sure the idea of BUNNIES in tutus will add to the appeal. The book screams out read me, read me, read me with a certain audience. (The only thing that might add to the appeal is if there were unicorns too.)
I find it odd that Miss Luisa's School of Dance only has one ballet class and that ALL students regardless of their skills, abilities, and age would be thrown together in one class with one teacher. That hardly seems fair to any of the students. It would surely prove frustrating to the teacher and to all the students as well.
Premise/plot: Millie loves, loves, loves the idea of learning ballet. But when she starts her lessons, she finds it disappointing and frustrating. She is the ONLY ONE in her class that is a brand-new beginner to ballet. Every other person in the class has been dancing ballet for years--or years and years and years--as the case may be. How can she be anything other than discouraged when she's so very far behind and out of her league. It doesn't help that a few of the students are less than thrilled that someone with no skills/few skills is now in their class and being partnered with them. Of course, one of the girls is just a BULLY pure and simple to anyone and everyone.
What makes Millie consider sticking with ballet is her discovery of the BALLET BUNNIES. Dolly, Fifi, Pod, and Trixie are BUNNIES that live at the dance studio. They help Millie out by a) being her friend b) encouraging her to stick with it and c) teaching her some ballet.
My thoughts: This is the first in a new series. I thought the bunnies were all kinds of adorable. I'm sure the idea of BUNNIES in tutus will add to the appeal. The book screams out read me, read me, read me with a certain audience. (The only thing that might add to the appeal is if there were unicorns too.)
I find it odd that Miss Luisa's School of Dance only has one ballet class and that ALL students regardless of their skills, abilities, and age would be thrown together in one class with one teacher. That hardly seems fair to any of the students. It would surely prove frustrating to the teacher and to all the students as well.
December 24, 2024
Excelente opción para iniciar a los niños en el mundo del ballet.
Leímos este libro con mi nena de 2 años y quedó maravillada con la historia, es que para esa edad ratoncitos que bailan es algo muy tentador.
Cómo mamá y como profesora de ballet me quedé súper contenta con la historia y como expresan los miedos y dudas de las primeras clases.
Además, al finalizar hay un glosario sobre ballet y les enseñan las posiciones básicas de pies y brazos
Estamos muy emocionadas por leer el siguiente
Leímos este libro con mi nena de 2 años y quedó maravillada con la historia, es que para esa edad ratoncitos que bailan es algo muy tentador.
Cómo mamá y como profesora de ballet me quedé súper contenta con la historia y como expresan los miedos y dudas de las primeras clases.
Además, al finalizar hay un glosario sobre ballet y les enseñan las posiciones básicas de pies y brazos
Estamos muy emocionadas por leer el siguiente
July 20, 2020
Very cute and girly book!
February 21, 2022
Maybe you'd give this to a kid who's working on their grit/growth-mindset, since the MC stays with dancing despite bullying, etc., but otherwise there's just a bunch of weird stuff going on with magical bunnies and mean people and it's sort of a mess.
August 18, 2023
I came home last night to discover that someone had stuffed my Little Free Library with ten assorted children's books to go with the adult mysteries I usually carry. I wonder if I'm the only person who arranges strictly by size when it comes to their LFLs? I wasn't a huge fan of how my otherwise generous benefactor shoved the books into my neatly arranged and curated shelf, but after sorting everything by size -- which meant that kids book and adult books sat neatly next to one another; I've always read both and see no need to segregate them -- I decided to keep this cutie for myself. And honestly it was the perfect book for me to wind down my day with, a cute story with even cuter illustrations, combining two of the cutest things in the world: children's ballet and magical bunnies.
Millie is very excited to start ballet classes at Miss Luisa's School Of Dance. Alas that she gets off on the wrong foot with her class' queen bee, Amber, almost as soon as she walks in the front door. To make things even worse, she swiftly discovers that she's woefully behind everyone else, and that neither her teacher nor most of her peers have a huge amount of patience for this.
After class ends and everyone else leaves, a distraught Millie wanders the studio while waiting for her mother. A noise from the curtained stage causes her to come across four magical bunnies in tutus. The Ballet Bunnies are not only very kind to Millie, but also offer to show her how to properly do the steps she was having trouble with in class. As Millie's mother finally arrives to pick her up, they anxiously ask whether they'll see Millie again next week. Given the rough time she'd had in class that day, Millie genuinely doesn't know. The Ballet Bunnies will have to do their best to restore her confidence and remind her why she ever wanted to take dance lessons in the first place.
This is an extremely cute children's chapter book that features diverse and adorable characters as a matter of course. Binny Talib's expressive art perfectly compliments the text, with lots of pinks, purples and pastels to perfectly match a story about kid's ballet. Swapna Reddy's story is surprisingly realistic, with its depiction of mean kids, dance teachers who are definitely better at dancing than teaching, and tardy moms. I also loved Samira, the fellow student who 100% did the work Miss Luisa was supposed to.
Despite being a book ostensibly about magical bunnies who instill confidence, this is really a tale of not giving up and the powers of friendship and kindness. I'm going to leave this book lying around the house, in hopes that my kids will pick it up to look through. My 9 year-olds really enjoyed going to the ballet and are somewhat interested in learning how to dance, so will hopefully be drawn to it, even tho they're currently very anti-reading ahead of summer vacation ending soon. It helps that there are boy characters as well as characters of color throughout, increasing the appeal of this book far beyond the usual demographic that dream of growing up to be ballerinas. I'm super glad this charming title was donated to my LFL, and hope it will appeal to and encourage my sons, too.
Ballet Bunnies #1: The New Class by Swapna Reddy & Binny Talib was published March 2 2021 by Random House Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
Millie is very excited to start ballet classes at Miss Luisa's School Of Dance. Alas that she gets off on the wrong foot with her class' queen bee, Amber, almost as soon as she walks in the front door. To make things even worse, she swiftly discovers that she's woefully behind everyone else, and that neither her teacher nor most of her peers have a huge amount of patience for this.
After class ends and everyone else leaves, a distraught Millie wanders the studio while waiting for her mother. A noise from the curtained stage causes her to come across four magical bunnies in tutus. The Ballet Bunnies are not only very kind to Millie, but also offer to show her how to properly do the steps she was having trouble with in class. As Millie's mother finally arrives to pick her up, they anxiously ask whether they'll see Millie again next week. Given the rough time she'd had in class that day, Millie genuinely doesn't know. The Ballet Bunnies will have to do their best to restore her confidence and remind her why she ever wanted to take dance lessons in the first place.
This is an extremely cute children's chapter book that features diverse and adorable characters as a matter of course. Binny Talib's expressive art perfectly compliments the text, with lots of pinks, purples and pastels to perfectly match a story about kid's ballet. Swapna Reddy's story is surprisingly realistic, with its depiction of mean kids, dance teachers who are definitely better at dancing than teaching, and tardy moms. I also loved Samira, the fellow student who 100% did the work Miss Luisa was supposed to.
Despite being a book ostensibly about magical bunnies who instill confidence, this is really a tale of not giving up and the powers of friendship and kindness. I'm going to leave this book lying around the house, in hopes that my kids will pick it up to look through. My 9 year-olds really enjoyed going to the ballet and are somewhat interested in learning how to dance, so will hopefully be drawn to it, even tho they're currently very anti-reading ahead of summer vacation ending soon. It helps that there are boy characters as well as characters of color throughout, increasing the appeal of this book far beyond the usual demographic that dream of growing up to be ballerinas. I'm super glad this charming title was donated to my LFL, and hope it will appeal to and encourage my sons, too.
Ballet Bunnies #1: The New Class by Swapna Reddy & Binny Talib was published March 2 2021 by Random House Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
May 26, 2021
While I would never have thought of combining a novice ballet dancer with supportive bunnies who live at a dance studio, the idea works and allows readers to watch the protagonist deal with her own insecurities. The four bunnies--Dolly, Fifi, Pod, and Trixie--have their own hiding places in Miss Luisa's School of Dance. They love to dance, and when Millie, who has never attended a ballet class before, arrives but stumbles through the moves, they provide emotional support for her. It's a good thing they do, too, since Amber, a much more experienced classmate, spends a lot of energy belittling Millie. But the bunnies help her learn the basic steps and gain some confidence, and Millie starts to improve. When she makes a new friend in Samira, she decides that she'll keep attending class and try to ignore Amber's mean comments. There's a good lesson about resilience and persistence nestled among all the pink tutus and satin ribbons found in the story. After all, there are always going to be individuals who want to pull others down, but if you enjoy doing something, why let what others think prevent you from dancing your heart out? The sweet story is accompanied by attractive, colorful illustrations with wide-eyed characters and helpful bunnies. This title, part of a ballet-themed series, will appeal to young readers in second and third grade.
Read
March 31, 2021Millie absolutely cannot wait for her first ballet class! But when she arrives, she realizes that most of her classmates have been dancing for years. They know the steps, and Millie doesn't. And classmate Amber is determined to make sure Millie knows she doesn't belong.
Just as Millie is about to quit, she discovers something a little magical about her ballet studio: it is the home to four tiny, talking bunnies that love ballet just as much as the students. The ballet bunnies will help Millie learn her dance steps--but she has to make sure to keep their secret.
This was fun! It doesn't flow quite as well as I would like, but it will be well loved by young dancers and the bunnies help it earn so many cute points.
Just as Millie is about to quit, she discovers something a little magical about her ballet studio: it is the home to four tiny, talking bunnies that love ballet just as much as the students. The ballet bunnies will help Millie learn her dance steps--but she has to make sure to keep their secret.
This was fun! It doesn't flow quite as well as I would like, but it will be well loved by young dancers and the bunnies help it earn so many cute points.
November 11, 2021
Millie is new to Ballet School, loves dancing, but is a little uncertain about her new class and the friends in it. Luckily, she discovers four fluffy friends, Ballet Bunnies, who convince her to keep trying with something new. A full-color and fully-illustrated early chapter book that will appeal to any ballet fans. Enjoyed the diverse characters and the boys in ballet too!
Pretty simple for my taste and not particularly memorable. My youngest would like it, but wouldn't be a big hit with my other children (based on their interests).
Checked out at library and reviewed in consideration for Cybils Award Early Chapter Book shortlist for 2021.
Pretty simple for my taste and not particularly memorable. My youngest would like it, but wouldn't be a big hit with my other children (based on their interests).
Checked out at library and reviewed in consideration for Cybils Award Early Chapter Book shortlist for 2021.
July 8, 2022
The first in this new initial chapter book series, The New Class tells the story of a young girls
's disappointment when her dreams of joining a new dance class do not go as planned. She discovers that some unexpected bunnies found at the class provide her with motivation to continue her seeking her ballet dreams. Perseverance pays off. The book is a slim chapter book with ten short chapters making it very accessible to young readers. Ample visual support is provided throughout the story.
's disappointment when her dreams of joining a new dance class do not go as planned. She discovers that some unexpected bunnies found at the class provide her with motivation to continue her seeking her ballet dreams. Perseverance pays off. The book is a slim chapter book with ten short chapters making it very accessible to young readers. Ample visual support is provided throughout the story.
February 3, 2023
My 7yo daughter loved this book. As an emerging reader, she insisted on reading this book to me. She takes dance lessons and loves recognizing the moves. Also, she’s been dressing like and drawing pictures of ballet bunnies all week. Any story that sparks a child’s imaginative play is an A+ in my book.
November 10, 2024
Ballet Bunnies: The New Class by Swapna Reddy is such a fun, adorable story! It’s about a bunny named Tilly who’s excited to join a new ballet class but worries about fitting in. The book is full of sweet illustrations and teaches kids about friendship, teamwork, and overcoming fears. I loved how relatable it was for anyone trying something new!
April 11, 2021
Lucy (7) and Eleanor (5) give this cute little tale 5 stars! The ballet theme kept them engaged, and they found the bunnies adorable.
July 5, 2023
A good first chapter book for those tiny dancers.
December 13, 2023
Read this to my daughter. She’s 2 and started dance back in October. She absolutely loves dance and bunnies so naturally, all I heard was “dancing bunnies!” All day long.
January 2, 2024
This was cute for a kids' book, but I will not read the rest of the series. It is better suited for someone of the age group these books are for anyway.
Read
March 22, 2025Good for children
July 12, 2025
Super cute and charming.
July 27, 2022
This was perfect for a 4/5 year old. Cute and slightly longer story but a lot of illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews