5 Ballet Books That Are Tutu Perfect
Searching for some perfect summer reads for your ballet-obsessed little one? Look no further! Here are some of our favorite ballet books for every age and some special tutu tips to make the reading experience a little extra magical!
For The Baby Ballet Dancers (6 months – 18 months)
Did you know we start classes as little as 6 months old at Tutu School Newport Beach? Our Baby Ballet division is a carefully curated curriculum for infants aged 6-18 months, with lots of opportunities to foster both caregiver bonding and age-appropriate development. Check out our current schedule for Baby Ballet HERE!
Flora And The Flamingo by Molly Idle
In this magical Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, Flora and her graceful flamingo friend wordlessly explore the trials and joys of friendship through an elaborate synchronized dance. Every little ballerina dreams of her turn as a dancing diva. Endearing Flora in swimsuit, bathing cap, and flippers admires a pink flamingo . . . and with a twist, a turn, and even a flop, these unlikely friends learn at last how to dance together in perfect harmony. An innovative wordless picture book with interactive flaps, Flora and the Flamingo is full of humor and heart. This stunning performance (and splashy ending!) will have readers clapping for more!
Tutu Tip: Did you know in the first 3 years of your baby’s life, they’re forming a million neural connections every second! It’s never too early to start reading to your little ones. The best way to keep them engaged? 1. Follow your baby’s pace – maybe they want to look at the same page over and over! 2. Have fun! Use silly voices, sing some phrases, and practice lots of sound effects throughout!
For the Tutu Toddler Dancers (18 months – 3 years old)
Our goal in our Tutu Toddlers division at Tutu School Newport Beach is to work with you to engage your little one and give them an early experience with ballet they’ll never forget. Why? Because at Tutu School Newport Beach, we believe that exposing children at a very early age to creativity, movement, and music can only leave to good things. Check out our current schedule for Tutu Toddlers HERE!
Dance Is For Everyone by Andrea Zuill
An alligator dancing ballet? When the reptile takes her place at the barre, Mrs. Iraina and her dancers are very surprised. But since they can’t communicate with the alligator—and she is able to follow along—they just decide to name her Tanya and let her stay. (Would YOU say no to a 450-pound alligator?) Mrs. Iraina even creates a special ballet to showcase Tanya’s larger-than-life talents . . . and super-swishy tail. Then, without warning, Tanya disappears. Funny and irreverent, Dance Is for Everyone shows that, with just a little understanding, anyone can fit in—even a dancing alligator.
Tutu Tip: Search your favorite music streaming platform for Disney Hits For Ballet Class for some familiar tunes from class + pretend to be an alligator dancing ballet together!
For the Exploring Ballet Dancers (3 – 5 years old)
Classes in our Exploring Ballet division at Tutu School Newport Beach strike a perfect balance between structure and creativity. We begin carefully laying the earliest foundation of ballet technique, but we always compliment our class work with fun, imaginative activities that keep young dancers captivated, engaged, and utterly in love with ballet. At Tutu School Newport Beach, we split this division into two groups based on age, so our teachers can craft the perfect curriculum for your dancer. Check out our current schedule for both Exploring Ballet A/B (3-4 year olds) + Exploring Ballet B/C (4-5 year olds) HERE!
Tallulah’s Tutu by Marilyn Singer
Tallulah just knew she could be a great ballerina, if only she had a tutu. So she starts ballet class. When she does not receive a tutu, she quits. But everywhere she goes, things keep reminding her of ballet. Her neighbor’s basset hound always stands in second position. The kitchen clock performs perfect ronds de jambe. And Tallulah can’t seem to stop doing ballet, either. A park bench makes a perfect barre, and what better way to pet the dog than with a graceful plié? This well-told, funny story with a smart new character will satisfy girls’ cravings for pretty and pink, but also shows that ballet is about more than just the tutu.
Tutu Tip: Let your dancer take a turn at playing teacher + show you some of the ballet steps! They should look pretty familiar to our frequent Tutu Schoolers!
For The Primary Ballet Prep Dancers (5-8 years old)
In the Primary Ballet Prep division at Tutu School Newport Beach, we develop pure, fundamental ballet technique that will eventually allow our students to graduate to a more disciplined study of the craft – when their growing bodies are ready. In the meantime, we’ll continue to practice our pliés with a healthy heaping of magical fun, thank you. Check out our current schedule for Primary Ballet Prep HERE!
Boys Dance by John Robert Allman
Boys who love to dance are center stage in this encouraging, positive, rhyming picture book about guys who love to pirouette, jeté, and plié. Created in partnership with the American Ballet Theatre and with the input of their company’s male dancers, here is a book that shows ballet is for everyone. Written by the acclaimed author of A Is for Audra: Broadway’s Leading Ladies from A to Z, this book subtly seeks to address the prejudice toward boys and ballet by showing the skill, hard work, strength, and smarts is takes to be a dancer. Fun and buoyant illustrations show boys of a variety of ages and ethnicities, making this the ideal book for any boy who loves dance. An afterword with photos and interviews with some of ABT’s male dancers completes this empowering and joyful picture book.
Tutu Tip: Watch Principal Dancer Angel Corella perform a variation from Don Quixote HERE (one of our featured Tutu School Storytimes!)
To Read Together (An Early Reader Chapter Book)
Katarina Ballerina by Tiler Peck
Ten-year-old Katarina is a New York City girl through and through, but the buzz of the city drives her to feel that she is meant for more than her ordinary day to day routine. Her big dream? To become a prima ballerina.
With the help of a few new friends, Katarina finally puts on her first pair of ballet shoes and she’s more than determined to make it work. But her feet don’t quite move the way she would like them to, the twirls and spins make her dizzy, and her classmates aren’t exactly welcoming. When the head of the dance studio announces that there will be a competition to earn a spot in an upcoming international dance camp, Katarina knows this could be her big chance to make her dancer dreams come true. Does this tiny dancer have what it takes to stand out in the ballet world of blending in?
Tutu Tip: Once you’re finished – watch a documentary about real life dancers (ages 9-19) preparing for the ultimate ballet competition, the Youth America Grand Prix, First Position.
We hope you have so much fun reading any and all of these ballet books together with your young dancer. Reading is an imperative skill + past time for children of all ages! It builds language, improves imagination, develops empathy and critical thinking, and more. A child who reads or is read only one book a day hears about 290,000 more words by age 5 than a child who does not (read more about child literacy research HERE). What better excuse to add some ballet books to your repertoire? Borrow from the library (find your local library HERE in Orange County!), pick them up at the bookstore, keep them forever or donate when you’re done: either way, enjoy the Tutu magic!
xoxo, Hannah from Tutu School Newport Beach
P.S. Have a favorite ballet book? We’d love to add it to our front cabinet at Tutu School Newport Beach, where we keep some easy reads for siblings who come to class, or the early arriver!
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