CATTY JANE WHO LOVED TO DANCE

Tutus or friends? A feline ballerina-in-training must choose which is more important.

Catty Jane, whose friendships were so important in Catty Jane Who Hated the Rain (2012), is back with her winning smile and a flamboyant pink tutu. She’s thrilled to be old enough to take ballet class with Mrs. Herron. Alas, this means that she does not have time to play soccer with Froggy or join a dance party with Froggy, Goose and Piggy. Ballet is the only true dance form, she haughtily states, and dashes home to her porch to practice, practice and practice her twirling and whirling. Happy noises from across the street distract her, and she looks out to see her three friends dancing, prancing, jumping and tumbling. With a little nudge from her saxophone-playing mother, Catty Jane realizes that dance embraces many steps, and everyone can dance “in different ways.” Gorbachev writes for a young audience with a gentle reminder that children move in different ways and all ways are equally wonderful. The watercolor and pen and ink drawings are both energetic and endearing, giving each animal a winning personality.

A fetching little story about individuality and physicality.