The Jellybeans and the Big Dance (by Laura Numeroff, Nate Evans)

Emily joins dance class with high hopes, but the other dancers aren't as glad to be there.

A sweet tale that doesn't hit kids over the head with its positive lessons, this book about a frustrating dance class has encouraging things to say about working as a team. Four little girls with four very different ways of thinking manage to come together in time for their dance recital despite a difficult, falling-down start.

A little studied and more than a little adorable (with grown-up ideas about what kids find appealing -- animals in pants, anyone?), this could be a tough sell for kids who shy away from tutus. But the story is engaging enough that parents might be able to entice reluctant kids to stick it out -- especially once they find out that not all the girls are as enamored of tutus as the cover would have us believe.