TANYA STEPS OUT
by Patricia Lee Gauch & illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa
Tanya Steps Out ($13.95; Sept. 10, 1996; 10 pp.; 0-399-22936-1): French ballet terms can be daunting for children; while this book does not provide much help with pronunciations or exact translations, it compares ballet steps to animal movements. JetÇ is compared to an ostrich's stride; other translations are more literal: Saut de poisson shows the ballerina floating like a fish. Slotted windows showing young Tanya pull down to reveal the corresponding animals. Tutu pinks and toe-shoe pastels are balanced with the greens and beiges of the animals, and the slightly goofy expressions on the faces of the human dancers keep the whole thing from becoming fluff. (Picture book. 3-7)