ANDI'S VALENTINE TREE

A magical tree helps a young dancer deal with bullies in this 13th installment of a picture-book series.

Andi loves dancing, but school’s a different thing. Even with a squirrel friend to keep the White child company, Andi can’t help counting the minutes until school is over. On the way to school is a beautiful tree that Andi names Gloriana. When the kid hears a voice near Gloriana that seems to say “Dance for me,” Andi decides to give it a try. After the tree responds to Andi’s dances with movements of its own, the youngster is amazed. The dancing continues to go well, but the bullies at Andi’s school only get worse when they realize the child is friends with a tree. After suggesting Andi make the tree their valentine, the bullies wander off. But Gloriana hears them, and she’s determined to win over the children without fighting. As in previous books in this series from Once Upon a Dance, each page advances the story while featuring instructions from White ballerina Konora (her stage name) on how to imitate the movements in the tale as well as perform various techniques. Because Andi practices ballet, the moves here are frequently ballet techniques, listed in French, and are best suited for use in a classroom with older kids. Ruminska’s depictions of Andi and their diverse classmates have soft, painterly outlines, and the illustrations with the tree in full bloom are particularly lovely.

An engaging ballet tale with a solid anti-bullying message.