Tripping the Light Fantastic: Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina by Jane O'Connor

I LOVE BALLET.  MY FRIEND BREE AND I GO TO CLASS EVERY WEEK.

WE DO NOT DANCE ON OUR TOES YET. BUT ONE DAY WE WILL.

After class Nancy and Bree show off their new moves to Nancy's family. They demonstrate their plie and their arabesque, and JoJo and even Daddy follow suit. But when Dad attempts a grand tour jete' he lands on his derriere rather than his toes!

Suddenly Nancy has a grand idea! She will open her own school of la dans, Nancy's Dancing Academy!

And in ten minutes Nancy's studio is ready, and la classe is in session. Daddy shows up in shorts and sneakers, apologizing good-naturedly:

"OH! I FORGOT MY TUTU!"

It's all in good fun as Daddy plays Le Buffoon with great humor and elan, in Jane O'Connor's latest little Nancy Clancy story, Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina (Harper Festival, 2013), with even Frenchy, Nancy's dog, getting into the act. Fun reading for those budding ballerinas who dote on ballet stories, one which dads should enjoy reading aloud to their en pointe-struck daughters. Pair this one with O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: Puppy Party for a perfect picture book pas de deux.