Review By Gabrielle
My Cat Does Ballet combines two of my favourite things into a delightful picture book – cats and ballet.
Favourite Quote:
“Before I can even start the lesson, the cats leap and bound and whirl and twirl every which way.”
Goodreads Synopsis:
A boy shares his love of ballet with his cat in this adorable picture book that leaps and glides through ballet terms, famous dancers, and the special bond between a young dancer and his pet.
Some cats pounce, snooze, or climb up the curtains. But one boy has a pet cat that does ballet, jumping after flies in perfect grands jetés and gliding across floors with smooth glissades. Perhaps they can teach you and your cat to do ballet too! This joyful and hilariously illustrated story is a charming pas de deux for felines and their friends.
This is such a fun story about a boy and his cat who both happen to love ballet. He has a lot of friends who also have cats and I loved hearing about all their cat’s talents like sliding down banisters or hiding socks. They gave me a good giggle. Anyone who has a cat will be able to relate.
The illustrations are just terrific. I loved the more muted colours and the use of spotlights and round shapes throughout the story, expertly tying the whole book together.
One of my favourite parts is the end where we learn that each of the boy’s friends are named after a famous dancer and we get a brief biography of each of them. I also loved the glossary of ballet terms so those unfamiliar with the steps mentioned throughout the book can learn more.
Thank you, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
