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Angelina Ballerina
Angelina, Star of the Show
This classic bestselling Angelina Ballerina picture book about chasing your dreams even when things don’t turn out perfectly is back in a beautiful, refreshed hardcover edition!
Angelina Ballerina has always dreamed of being the star of a show, and the Mouseland Dance Festival is her chance! Angelina practices her dance routine constantly. She even rehearses on her grandparents’ canal boat on the way to the festival. But when Angelina accidentally ruins her costume with her nonstop dancing, will she still get to be the star of the show?
© 2023 Helen Craig Ltd and Katharine Holabird. The Angelina Ballerina name and character and the dancing Angelina logo are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited, Katharine Holabird, and Helen Craig.
Angelina Ballerina has always dreamed of being the star of a show, and the Mouseland Dance Festival is her chance! Angelina practices her dance routine constantly. She even rehearses on her grandparents’ canal boat on the way to the festival. But when Angelina accidentally ruins her costume with her nonstop dancing, will she still get to be the star of the show?
© 2023 Helen Craig Ltd and Katharine Holabird. The Angelina Ballerina name and character and the dancing Angelina logo are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited, Katharine Holabird, and Helen Craig.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 27, 2005
About the author
Katharine Holabird
296 books83 followersKatharine Holabird is an American writer, best known as the author of the Angelina Ballerina series.
As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a nursery school.
In 1983, her first children’s book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Holabird’s son, Adam, was her inspiration for the character Henry, and Angelina’s character was inspired by her daughters’ love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters dancing around her. In fact, the Angelina books were originally about a girl, but then Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. “The impulsive character of Angelina came alive,” says Holabird, “and seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy, while her plump and ebullient body expressed drama and attitude in every twitch of her tail.” Angelina is a very emotional character; she is sensitive and often bursts into tears right before offering an apology. She struggles with her conscience but always ends up doing the right thing—which is very familiar to many young children. The universal childhood themes in Angelina include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, & dedication. Holabird’s goal was to realistically portray the difficulties of growing up. According to Holabird, it is a ballerina book for “all the passionate little dancers and performers in the world,” including her own two daughters, which is why she “decided to explore the impulsive, highly emotional character of a small but determined ballerina.”
The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Angelina Ballerina. In 1986 and 1987, she received the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina’s Christmas was selected as Child Study Association’s Children’s Book of the Year in 1987. The following year, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon, their first Alexander book; it is aimed at preschool children who want to be consoled about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the Alexander sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat, which portrays a strong mother/son relationship while the two go on a voyage to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.
In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London (known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney) secured the rights for Angelina Ballerina and commissioned Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also developed a lot of Angelina merchandise. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Angelina series premiered on PBS Kids TV in the United States. Angelina Ballerina’s Invitation to the Ballet received the prestigious Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina was named the official spokesperson of National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina made her debut on PBS Kids Sprout, a twenty-four-hour digital television channel for preschoolers in the U.S.
As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a nursery school.
In 1983, her first children’s book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Holabird’s son, Adam, was her inspiration for the character Henry, and Angelina’s character was inspired by her daughters’ love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters dancing around her. In fact, the Angelina books were originally about a girl, but then Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. “The impulsive character of Angelina came alive,” says Holabird, “and seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy, while her plump and ebullient body expressed drama and attitude in every twitch of her tail.” Angelina is a very emotional character; she is sensitive and often bursts into tears right before offering an apology. She struggles with her conscience but always ends up doing the right thing—which is very familiar to many young children. The universal childhood themes in Angelina include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, & dedication. Holabird’s goal was to realistically portray the difficulties of growing up. According to Holabird, it is a ballerina book for “all the passionate little dancers and performers in the world,” including her own two daughters, which is why she “decided to explore the impulsive, highly emotional character of a small but determined ballerina.”
The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Angelina Ballerina. In 1986 and 1987, she received the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina’s Christmas was selected as Child Study Association’s Children’s Book of the Year in 1987. The following year, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon, their first Alexander book; it is aimed at preschool children who want to be consoled about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the Alexander sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat, which portrays a strong mother/son relationship while the two go on a voyage to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.
In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London (known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney) secured the rights for Angelina Ballerina and commissioned Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also developed a lot of Angelina merchandise. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Angelina series premiered on PBS Kids TV in the United States. Angelina Ballerina’s Invitation to the Ballet received the prestigious Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina was named the official spokesperson of National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina made her debut on PBS Kids Sprout, a twenty-four-hour digital television channel for preschoolers in the U.S.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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June 27, 2023See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/angeli...
ANGELINA, STAR OF THE SHOW is a cute picture book about enthusiasm and making mistakes. Angelina is on the way to the Mouseland Dance Festival with her grandparents, but the trip will take several days by boat - and it's all hands on deck! However, Angelina is determined to be the star of the show, so she works on her dance routines instead of helping out as she is supposed to, even when her grandparents start to get irritated and she keeps making messes. It isn't until she accidentally ruins her lovely costume that Angelina begins to realize that she needs to get more serious about helping.
Her grandmother comforts her and helps her to find a new costume on board, and Angelina turns over a new leaf with helping the way she was supposed to - and learning some new dances from her grandmother. When they arrive at the festival, Angelina shows off her new moves, and the crowd loves her performance.
What I loved: This is a great story for children who have a tough time focusing on being good helpers. Angelina knows that she needs to help out on the boat to get to the festival, but she is so focused on creating a new dance routine that she is not paying attention to her grandparents and the other things that she is supposed to be doing. This is a common situation for children, so the story will resonate quite well, especially with the natural consequence of Angelina ruining her own dance costume.
Angelina does turn it all around, helping out after that - and what she learns is that in doing so, she can actually create a better dance as she frees up some of her grandmother's time to teach her new dances. The length of the story will work best for older picture book readers, such as those in elementary school. Like other Angelina stories, the text is long and detailed, really painting the details well for the reader. The images are likewise lovely and detailed with plenty to visually explore on each page, soft colors, and lots of personality.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the lessons learned are a bit subtle, so it may have been helpful to have more warnings or have them pointed out a bit clearer for the reader.
Final verdict: ANGELINA, STAR OF THE SHOW is a fun new Angelina Ballerina story that is sure to resonate with busy young readers who need reminders to be good helpers too!
ANGELINA, STAR OF THE SHOW is a cute picture book about enthusiasm and making mistakes. Angelina is on the way to the Mouseland Dance Festival with her grandparents, but the trip will take several days by boat - and it's all hands on deck! However, Angelina is determined to be the star of the show, so she works on her dance routines instead of helping out as she is supposed to, even when her grandparents start to get irritated and she keeps making messes. It isn't until she accidentally ruins her lovely costume that Angelina begins to realize that she needs to get more serious about helping.
Her grandmother comforts her and helps her to find a new costume on board, and Angelina turns over a new leaf with helping the way she was supposed to - and learning some new dances from her grandmother. When they arrive at the festival, Angelina shows off her new moves, and the crowd loves her performance.
What I loved: This is a great story for children who have a tough time focusing on being good helpers. Angelina knows that she needs to help out on the boat to get to the festival, but she is so focused on creating a new dance routine that she is not paying attention to her grandparents and the other things that she is supposed to be doing. This is a common situation for children, so the story will resonate quite well, especially with the natural consequence of Angelina ruining her own dance costume.
Angelina does turn it all around, helping out after that - and what she learns is that in doing so, she can actually create a better dance as she frees up some of her grandmother's time to teach her new dances. The length of the story will work best for older picture book readers, such as those in elementary school. Like other Angelina stories, the text is long and detailed, really painting the details well for the reader. The images are likewise lovely and detailed with plenty to visually explore on each page, soft colors, and lots of personality.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the lessons learned are a bit subtle, so it may have been helpful to have more warnings or have them pointed out a bit clearer for the reader.
Final verdict: ANGELINA, STAR OF THE SHOW is a fun new Angelina Ballerina story that is sure to resonate with busy young readers who need reminders to be good helpers too!
December 8, 2023
I personally think this is one of the better Angelina books. She learns a lesson applicable to many little girls her age. My only beef is her grandparents not enforcing her wearing her overalls at the very beginning of it all.
May 9, 2026
It’s a little hard to read about Angelina being obnoxious and a bother to her grandparents for most of the book; but the sweet conclusion and the beautiful illustrations pull enough weight to cancel it out by the end.
January 12, 2018
Angelina wants to practice her dance for the festival but her grandparents need her help along the way. Angelina doesn't listen and causes a lot of trouble for them and herself.
January 12, 2020
Beautiful pictures a lovely read it has inspired my 2 year old to start ballet.
March 19, 2014
This great fiction book is about a mouse named Angelina who loved to dance! She was headed to a dance festival with her grandparents and they would arrive by boat. Angelina danced and danced even when her grandparents told her not to, but she soon regretted it when she fell into oil and ruined her ballerina dress. She planned to wear that dress for her dance performance, but it was time to come up with a different plan. When they arrived at the festival, Angelina was dressed in a sailors suit and performed a sailors jig!
This is a great book to use when teaching voice. You can truly hear a voice as you read this. I think students will be able to see how certain dialogue can create a certain voice for the book, that's why no book has the same voice. Students will see this dialogue and recognize the voice it creates, and then implement their own dialogue to create their own voice in their writing.
This is a great book to use when teaching voice. You can truly hear a voice as you read this. I think students will be able to see how certain dialogue can create a certain voice for the book, that's why no book has the same voice. Students will see this dialogue and recognize the voice it creates, and then implement their own dialogue to create their own voice in their writing.
November 21, 2014
Angelina Ballerina is one of the first books I remember falling in love with. There've been many books I've loved, and there've been many books I've read, but Angelina is a bright star among them. Angelina Star of the Show is one of the books written after she became popular, but it still retains that magical quality that the original book had. Both the story and the illustrations are absolutely charming!
I think everyone will love this book! It will be especially appealing to little ones who love to dance and love to imagine themselves in the future!
I think everyone will love this book! It will be especially appealing to little ones who love to dance and love to imagine themselves in the future!
September 4, 2011
In this book Angelina rode a ship to a dance, and she was the star of the show. Her costume got ruined and she found another costume. And her grandparents danced with her. I liked this because Angelina was the star of the show. - by Felicity
August 3, 2013
I love it when stories teach lessons like this, so I can remind my 4yo of it throughout the day. "Remember when Angelina wouldn't help her grandparents when they needed help? But then she DID help them and so they had time to help her, too." Plus, dd loves books about dancing.
April 17, 2010
This is the first Angelina book we've read. I love the detail in the illustrations, especially all the flowers.
November 30, 2010
Cute. I liked how she learned sailor dances from her grandmother.
March 1, 2012
Oh Angelina and double oh to her grandparents. They need to discipline that mouseling before she ruins her costume, not after.
February 7, 2013
45 months - I always have to appeal to my little spinning ballerina. Not the best of the Angelina series but O always enjoys them so why not.
April 4, 2013
A reality check for Angelina as her head is the clouds as she travels for the Mouseland Dance Festival on her grandparents canal boats.
October 13, 2013
Even my oldest boy enjoys Angelina books. This one has a similar feel to the original Angelina Ballerina but my little girl is in raptures over the tutu Angelina wears in this book.
January 20, 2016
A book more geared toward girls. But, a nice lesson in obedience. Illustrations are fun and interesting to look at.
March 1, 2016
Love this illustrator!!! What a darling story about being a family and growing up.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews