Review: Do Princesses Boogie? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

DO PRINCESSES BOOGIE?

A Read-and-Dance Book

by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

Illustrated by Mike Gordon

Taylor Trade Publishing

Picture Book 

ages 3 - 7

26 pages

COMING. . .

JUNE 8, 2016!!!

A read and dance book by the author of the other Do Princesses...? series! Join our favorite princess as she and her family dance, boogie, and jam. This happy princess discovers that having the right beat and looking on the bright side is all a girl needs to make her a princess.

Available for Pre-order:

MY TIDBITS

Let's Boogie! That's the message of this cute picture book as it follows a young girl through her dancing day. This isn't a story as such, but rather a fun journey as the girl and her brother (And other family members) go through a day dancing, prancing and waving away.

There isn't much text; only a few words on each page, and those are as basic as basic can be. Much of this book hangs on the illustrations. They are colorful, fun and a joy to flip through. In other words, kids will love gazing at the fun adventures this young girl and her dance bring her on. 

The main point of this book is to get kids to move. And they will. They are encouraged through the words and illustrations to wiggle, wave and skip around just as the characters do. I see tons of laughter in young readers futures when they read this. 

This book is recommend for kids ages 3-7, but I see this as a better fit for the younger end of this group. Due to the lack of text and simplicity, I'd say it's geared for ages 2 to 4. 

Summed up, this is a fun read which draws kids in to dance right along. The illustrations are perfect and the words simple. I think young listeners will really enjoy this one.

Review: One Dream Only by Elodie Nowodazkij

ONE DREAM ONLY

Broken Dreams Volume 0.5

by Elodie Nowodazkij

YA Contemporary

90 pages

Sixteen-year-old Natalya Pushkaya has one dream and one dream only: becoming the best ballerina ever. Dancing's always been who she is and she's working her hardest to land the main role of the School of Performing Arts' end-of-the-year showcase. But...will she make it? 
Within a week, Natalya's life will be changed forever.

MY TIDBITS

A short but fantastic read! I've already read the book which follows this one, ONE...TWO...THREE, and can honestly say that I found this one even better.

This novella was written after the first book, but that doesn't make it an after-thought. Although some books written like this often feel as if they're the authors way of stacking up a series, ONE DREAM ONLY not only explains the events leading up to the first book but bring depth and understanding which enriches the entire story. I gained a much better insight into Natalya's character and even though I've already read the continuation of her story, sympathize with her more than before.

I was especially impressed with the way the book is put together. The chapters don't follow a chronological order but jump back and forth around the day of the big accident. The author managed to make this time shifting not only easy to follow (it's exactly stated at the beginning of the chapter) but arranged them in a way that brought tension and emotions to their peek. It was a sheer joy to read.

Emotions and depth are one of the best parts of this series, and especially this book. I had no trouble being pulled into Natalya's world, fevered for her auditions, felt her confusion, and wished hope would turn out to be more than a light at the end of the tunnel. Her story pulls at the heart strings and the characters around her help create a believable world. But even when the world crumbles around her, it's great to see Natalya's strength (and weaknesses).

I definitely can recommend this, either before or after reading book one...or even as a read on its own. It's length makes it easy to read in less than an hour, but it leaves the reader craving for more.


Want to know more about the author, Elodie? Or about Natalya?

http://elodienowodazkij.com/