Well, some reviews have been rolling in for Miss Tutu – most quite favorable, hurrah! Here are some examples:
“Selena is a slightly chubby and not-inherently graceful girl with plenty of bounce and a determination to succeed…should inspire youngsters who like to dance but are not natural swans…Armstrong-Ellis’s gouache and colored-pencil illustrations add comic touches… many children will recognize themselves in this agreeable offering.” excerpts from School Library Journal
“The text flows smoothly in rhymed couplets… the energetic illustrations, done in gouache and colored pencil, recreate the bustle of ballet class, the quiet practices at home, and the onstage chaos …(in) this engaging picture book …” from Booklist
“Lesléa Newman presents an inspiring story about the importance of perseverance….Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ colorful paintings convey Selena’s love of movement—the sheer joy she experiences through dance…A fun, frolicsome tale” from Bookpage.com – read the full review here.
And here are a few more online reviews:
Many thanks to those hard-working bloggers and web folks for taking the time to review the book!!
BUT I just have to share the negative one from Kirkus, hahaha -
“Selena’s round face and round derriere displayed in her stage bow… are not likely to be seen in any serious ballet school… Selena’s constant mix-ups are balanced by her determination, an admirable quality but not one that would overcome her deficits in any real-world ballet situation…”
Whoa. So apparently, if you are not inherently destined for a career in ballet, you might as well not ever take dance classes! No matter that you love dancing and are having a good time! Sheesh. It is people like that who made sure I never learned Highland dance when I was a kid – the teacher told my parents that my sister and I were too old to learn for competition and wouldn’t take us in the class. We just wanted to dance!
, and some last minute changes on the publisher’s part. Lots of discussion on national flags, rainbow flags, earth day, etc. etc…) so that project is done. Yaaay!! (picture Kermit the Frog waving arms about) My current project is illustrating a story about a little girl taking ballet lessons, called Miss Tutu’s Star. I have finished the preliminary sketches and am waiting to hear whether I am even on the right track, or whether I have to start all over again, ugh! We shall see. Soon, hopefully. Here are a couple of the sketches:
