Anna Kemp

A plump and solemn little girl explains about her unusual dog, "My dog is not like other dogs....My dog thinks he's a ballet dancer!" As the little girl goes to ballet and then to a special performance by the Royal Ballet, her dog Biff sneaks along, but everyone says the same thing, "Dogs don't do ballet!" and out he goes. When there's a sudden emergency, guess who pops up on stage and wows the crowd?

I love the colorful illustrations and the sneaky little dog. The whole story is simply show more incredibly funny - something about the placid faces of the people and Biff's expressionless doggy face combined with the wild antics make me giggle the whole way through.

Verdict: Perfect for story time and endless giggling! show less

Penguin cuteness meets adventure and a father's love for a quick-paced read, which leaves smiles on the face.

Daddy Penguin is over-excited to see his egg hatch. While Mommy Penguin takes a break and rests, he watches over the egg. But waiting is tiring, and soon, he falls asleep. He sleeps so deep that he doesn't hear the crack of the ice around him and doesn't awaken until he's floated across the ocean to a harbor of a town. Not sure what to do but wanting to head back to the egg, he begins show more his journey and takes every available transportation means he can find.

If you're looking for a book with a strong message, this isn't it...although it does showcase a father's love and the power of determination. Oh, and a wide variety of transportation possibilities are also presented, which probably does mean there is more to this read than first appears. That said, it is a fun, easy read. The penguin family captures the heart on the very first page and will have listeners rooting for the father the entire way through. The idea that a penguin accidentally ends up floating far away is also nothing new, but it offers an easy begin to the adventure and simply lets readers/listeners sink in. There's also a lot of imagination in these pages as the town's people are all animals...so it's remains a light fantasy with tons of good feelings through and through.

The illustrations are colorful and bring the needed playfulness into each moment. They create a lovely display for group read-alouds and invite in. The text is also very fitting to the age group, stays direct and concise, and brings the tale smoothly on its way. The author doesn't forget short attention spans and makes sure nothing drags out too long but still keeps the story deep enough to draw in and grab readers' sympathy.

It's an easy, fun read, which is sure to delight. show less

'Dogs don't do ballet' says the father and the ballet teacher, but they haven't seen this little pug dance. Only his best friend and ballet partner, a little girl who loves ballet herself, knows the truth until the dog's surprise performance in a professional ballet. As the owner of a pug who hits the casinos once a month and writes theology in his spare time, I love this story.

As I was working on the Bookmobile, I came across this super silly and delightful kid's story. Basically, Sue is a princess who is waiting in a tower for her prince to come. She knows how the story goes - she is supposed to be perfect and wait and grow her hair and her prince will save her. However, she is tired of waiting and she is getting antsy. Finally, her prince arrives, but what she has been waiting for was not everything she had dreamed it would be. Her prince turns out to be a show more "twit" and she finds an unlikely new friend that helps her realize that sometimes it's OK to not be what everyone expects you to be.

This is not a super long story, it's not an adult novel or any great literature, but it was really cute and sweet. Plus it rhymed! Some day when I have a little kid to read to, this is one of the stories they will have on their shelf. show less