THE LITTLE DANCER is a laborer, and the Master Painter is her mentor
As young Jeanne spends time with the busy painter, she finds in him a successful artist who appears to live well off his art. In him she finds a sympathetic ear, a man who celebrates her first performance, while encouraging her to follow her own interests, to learn to play the piano and maybe even develop other skills, like choreography.
The adult half of this review team was impressed at the economic realism that portrayed a young artist finding her way in her milieu with the help of an established artist in that same world. Rarely does a children’s book deliver such an accurate picture of the realities of art as work. Rarely, in the ballerina genre, is the idea of the ballerina as a perfect princess so thoroughly dismantled, especially since its focus are some of the best known representations of ballet and ballerinas for more than 150 years.
THE LITTLE DANCER will likely appeal to fans of Degas, impressionistic painting in general, and fans of ballet and dance, as well. Both members of this reviewing team both found something to enjoy, which would put the recommended age spread from 5-37 years old.
