Mia and the Dance for Two: A Charming Story About Ballet Friendship for Kids (Ages 4-8)

Mia

by Robin Farley, Olga Ivanov (Illustrator), Aleksey Ivanov (Illustrator)

Mia and her ballet friends are back in another charming I Can Read story perfect for fans of Tallulah books and aspiring ballerinas everywhere.

Mia is excited to learn a new dance with her best friend, Ruby. But on the day of class, Ruby isn't feeling well and Mia must find another partner. At first Mia is afraid she won't have anyone to dance with, but soon Mia finds herself with not one, but two partners! Making sure no one is left out, Mia finds a solution that will work for everyone.

Mia and the Dance for Two is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for listening with a child.

Genres: Childrens, Friendship, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 2011

Reviews

[Anina Falco]

This is a spectacular story, especially for early readers! I love the message it gives that no one should be alone. Even after Mia had the option to walk away with two partners, she chose an option that made everyone feel included. These skills should be carried over into everyday life! I would recommend this story for readers ages 4 to 8 and would be honored to have it in a first- or second-grade classroom!

[Violet Julia]

Julia 5
Violet 4

[Tracey]

What a sweet little story. It's about Mia and her dancing lessons. Things take a turn for the worst when he friend that she normally partners up with during lessons is off sick. She gets asked by two other girls to be their partner for the dance for two. Not wanting to hurt either of their feelings by accepting ones partner request over the other; Mia accepts both dance partner requests and the girls form a dance for three. Lovely, sweet message in there and I will definitely use the book in the classroom.

[Adriana]

Mia has come into my arms again! This time around Ruby is nowhere to be found. She's home sick in bed and Mia is feeling left out since she's supposed to dance with a partner. Then Bella and Ali ask her if she wants to be her partner. That's one too many partners! (Do you sense a theme?) What will Mia decide to do?

This felt not as long as Mia and the Big Tutu. It really could have had more but I like the general idea that you shouldn't leave anyone out because you wouldn't feel good if you were left out. Empathy is a trait that a lot of people need to learn so it's nice to see it portrayed in a book for young readers.

[Katt Hansen]

For young readers that love ballet, this is an excellent book about friendship and dealing with that horrid time when you need to pick partners for something and there's an odd number of people. The solution is thoughtful and considerate, and excellent lesson. While the book doesn't have much in the way of plot of substance, it's such an easy read that beginners won't be intimidated and it serves to interest the child as to the outcome. The best moment? I liked the picture of the giraffe with the sore throat. Even her stuffed giraffe has a scarf around its throat. Very cute!

[Mummy Cat Claire]

My daughter brought this home from her school library. I'm sure she picked it out because of the ballet aspect.
We read this book several times together. It was easy to follow and she seemed to follow along quite well and understand what was going on.
The book wasn't overly creative, but my daughter liked it and it had a good point.

[Asho]

My 3-year-old is not the target audience for this book, as he's nowhere near learning to read. Yet he was drawn to it and it ended up in our library basket. I'm not sure if it was the kittens or the pink that was appealing--pink is his favorite color. We read this a few times. As a read-aloud I found it boring, but I'm sure as an early reader book it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

[Tam]

This is a "My First Reader" meaning it's ideal for sharing with emergent readers because it has basic language, word repetition and whimsical illustrations.

"Today in class, Mia is going to learn a dance for two. She is going to dance with her best friend, Ruby!"

[Child960801]

Mia's class is learning a new dance but Mia's partner is home sick. What will she do?