The Jewel Box Ballerinas

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gorgeously illustrated friendship fairy tale.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a magical tale of friendship.


What's the story?

Bibi Branchflower is so rich that she buys two of everything. But she doesn't have even one friend. When she buys a mysterious music box with two spinning ballerinas inside, her life begins to change.


Is it any good?

 

The most striking thing about this book are the gorgeous, detailed paintings that grace every page. A perfect complement to the melancholy fairy tale with an uplifting ending, the illustrations give kids lots to look at. Even the end papers dance with doubles that kids will want to scrutinize.

The marriage of story and illustrator here is superb. While Ana Juan's pictures would shine regardless of the text, the story is enhanced by the extremely stylized characters, somber colors, and mysterious details (the shopkeeper wearing his short fez, for example, and Bibi's big buttons).


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about why Bibi might not have had friends before. What things did she learn about being a friend from the ballerinas? What are the qualities of a good friend? Kids might also want to write a letter to Bibi giving her tips on how to be a friend.


This review was written by Dawn Friedman

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Dawn Friedman
Author:Monique de Varennes
Illustrator:Ana Juan
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Picture Book
Publisher:Schwartz & Wade
Publication date:September 11, 2007
Number of pages:40
Hardcover price:$16.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7
Read aloud:4
Read alone:8

This review was written by Dawn Friedman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read The Jewel Box Ballerinas?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it