Debbie Allen (1) (1950–)

A young girl known as Sassy is always being given grief about her backtalk, her too big feet, and her height as the tallest in her class. But she desperately wants to audition for a special ballet workshop in Washington, DC and is determined to make a splash.

This is a lovely story that felt realistic in all its small details. (It is interesting to learn that the author says it is partly inspired by her own experiences.) It is on the longer side as far as picture books go, so it's definitely more for the older side of elementary school.

There are important lessons in here about hard work and determination. Sassy and her brother do fight a lot and some of the unkind things they say to each other may not make every parent/adult reading this aloud with their children happy. However, it is realistic to how siblings can be, and there are brief moments where the two characters are nicer to each other. There are also plenty of positive family members and role models in Sassy's life, which offsets the bickering between her and her brother.

Kadir Nelson's illustrations are always beautiful, and this book is no exception. He captures so much emotion and movement in every page.… (more)