cover image Stella Is a Star!

Stella Is a Star!

Bernadette Peters, , illus. by Liz Murphy. . Blue Apple, $17.99 (40pp) ISBN 978-1-60905-008-5

Stella is a mutt who can’t seem to make any dog friends. Deciding that she’ll have an easier time with pigs, she assumes a new identity—Princess Pig—and enrolls in Madame Cochon’s If Pigs Could Fly School of Dance, “because... a dance class is the perfect place to find friends. And, as everyone knows, pigs are the best dancers.” As expected, there are bumps along the way (“She jetés at lunch. She pliés at dinner. But practice doesn’t make perfect”), and eventually, Stella wins over everyone with her grit (“We always knew you weren’t a pig,” says Madame). Murphy, who collaborated with Peters on Broadway Barks , contributes illustrations that exude an authentic girly sweetness. Turning the pages to Peters’s spirited narration, which is provided in an accompanying CD, makes for a more rewarding reading experience. The story and disc end with a sneakily affecting self-esteem anthem, which, like the familiar tale itself, is buoyed by the author’s lovely vocals. (Peters donates all royalties to programs that promote the adoption of shelter animals.) Ages 4–up. (May)