Sophie's Dance Class

This ingenious little interactive book offers an altogether pleasing introduction to the basics of ballet. Each pull-tab enables young Sophie to practice her dance drills with impressive accuracy; sturdy construction ensures that Sophie, like any dedicated ballerina, can be put through her paces repeatedly. At the start, with the reader's gentle tug, Sophie dons her ruffled pink tutu. Turn the page and class begins (Sophie is alone-a private lesson, perhaps?): at the barre, she executes perfect plies and kicks; next come jumps, an arabesque and a graceful pirouette. When class is over, Sophie curtsies proudly, a principal dancer in the making. The few words of text on each page name each exercise, while pastel blue, pink and yellow dominate the no-frills illustrations. Sophie herself is depicted simply, her constant, single-stroke smile beaming sweetly beneath two straw-colored pigtails. A fine performance that targets its audience to perfection. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)