Emma and Julia Love Ballet, written by Barbara McClintock, reviewed by Todd Erickson

Summary: Emma and Julia love ballet. Their stories are told in a parallel narrative. Emma is a young suburban girl who takes dance lessons, while Julia is a broadway dancer who dances professionally. Their tale is told concurrently, and ultimately converges when their paths cross. It is a celebration of dance and all the hard work that goes into making dreams come true.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Emma is a very young dancer who dreams of dancing, while Julia is a professional dancer who seemingly lives for dancing across the Broadway stage. What unites these two strangers is their love of dance. The text is very straightforward, but the real star of the book is the illustrations. There is a level of detail that could only come from someone who appreciates dance as much as the author and protagonists. Young and old readers who love dance will revel in all the illustrated details that celebrate the hard work that goes into making dreams of dancing a reality.