Title: Ballerina Dreams
Author: Lauren Thompson
Photographer: James Estrin
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genre: Children’s nonfiction, special needs
Age level: 5-8
Themes: Determination, working to fulfill a dream, girls with physical disabilities
Synopsis: Once upon a time, there were five little girls who shared a dream. The wanted to be ballerinas and dance onstage like their sisters and cousins and friends.
Synopsis: Once upon a time, there were five little girls who shared a dream. The wanted to be ballerinas and dance onstage like their sisters and cousins and friends.
But it would be hard for these girls to make their dream come true. They had cerebral palsy or other physical disabilities, which meant their muscles didn’t move the way they wanted the. To. some wore leg braces. Some used wheelchairs and walkers to get around. But these girls were determined. And they had a dedicated teacher. Every week they practiced. They worked hard. And one day, they were ready.
Ballerina Dreams is an inspiring true story of love, hope, and courage for everyone and anyone who has ever wished (and worked) hard enough to make their dreams come true.
About the author: Lauren Thompson loved ballet class when she was a child, although she never got the chance to participate in a ballet recital. In creating Ballerina Dreams, she drew inspiration from her own memories, as well as from conversations with the girls, their parents, and their teacher, Joann Ferrara. Ms. Thompson works as a children’s book editor for eighteen years before becoming a full-time writer. Her many picture books include Polar Bear Night, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the Mouse’s First and Little Quack series, and most recently, The Apple Pie That Papa Baked. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son.
About the photographer: James Estrin is a senior staff photographer for The New York Times and was part of a New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning team. His work has appeared in dozens of books, including A Nation Challenged, Portraits of Grief, The Century in Times Square, and Jews in America, and in thousands of newspapers and magazines throughout the world. He lives in Scarsdale, New York, with his wife, the writer Randy Banner, and their two children, Elizabeth and Marshall.
Pre-reading activities: Ask the students what special needs they think the children in the book have and if they think they are looked at differently because they have a special needs and want to be ballerinas. The girls in the class can testify if it is difficult to do ballet even without having a special need, so they can imagine how much more difficult it is to do it with a special need.
Post-reading activities: The students will compare and contrast this book to That’s Just Like Me. They will describe in detail the differences between the books (one noteable difference is that the people in That’s Just Like Me have different learning disabilities and special needs; the people in Ballerina Dreams have similar disabilities). They will also discuss who they think is more influential from the books, the ballerinas or the people featured in the other book.
Reflection: I liked how this was the portrayal of 5 little girls and their struggle to get stronger through their ballet lessons. Many of the girls have also been in physical therapy since they were infants, so this book showed the progress and how their determination helped them achieve something they may not have otherwise been able to do. I also liked how the helpers of the ballerinas were mentioned in the book, as well as information about cerebral palsy for those who would like to learn more about it.
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