Tallulah's Solo

Tallulah, the young would-be ballerina introduced in Tallulah's Tutu, who learned an important lesson about having patience and working toward a goal, in that earlier story, returns in this second adventure, which sees her conscientiously applying herself in her ballet class. Her younger brother Beckett, who imitated her at home in the first book, is now also a member of the class, but his constant antics, and inability to pay attention for very long, are a source of embarrassment for Tallulah, who has dreams of being the star of the upcoming Winter Recital, and fears that he won't even get a part in the chorus. When the exact opposite proves to be true, and Beckett is assigned an important role, while she herself is relegated to the show more chorus, Tallulah is outraged at the injustice of it all, and refuses to speak to her brother. Will she come around in time to lend him a helping hand, when he needs it, or will her desire to be a star continue to cloud her judgment, and effect her behavior...?

Tallulah's Solo being a "feel-good" tale, there's never much doubt as to the outcome, but the process whereby Tallulah is reconciled to the choreographer's casting choices for the recital is sensitively captured by author Marilyn Singer, and makes for an immensely appealing read. It helps that Alexandra Boiger's watercolor illustrations are just as darling here, as they were in the first installment of Tallulah's saga. The color palette she uses is just lovely, and I appreciated many of the little details - the adorable endpapers, featuring a plié and a relevé; the contrast between the heroine's daydreams, and the reality around her - and the expressive faces. If the ending, in which Tallulah is rewarded for finally coming around and helping her brother, feels a little too convenient, it was still quite satisfying. All in all, a sweet little book, and a worthy follow-up to the first - recommended to all young would-be ballerinas! show less

Great ballet/sibling story that sounds just the way a big sister/little brother story would play out. Inattentive little brother gets a big part in a ballet, and sis is resentful.

40 months - Sometimes life is disappointing and it's sometimes hard to accept being passed over for a part to someone else. This is a great story about being the better person and getting over one's loss and helping another to succeed. Sometimes good deeds, patience and perseverance pays off down the road. A lesson we could all learn from. I would agree with another reviewer there is a very similar Angelina story.