Ballerina Bess

by Dorothy Jane Mills

Back in 1965, when I was teaching reading to first-graders, I began writing books to help them become independent readers. These books used only a few words to tell enjoyable little stories. They gave the children practice in figuring out words on their own. I didn't realize that they would also become classics, beloved by children who cherished them, carried them around constantly, hugged them in bed, and re-read them until their families could recite them by heart and the books themselves collapsed in tatters. These children have grown up and want to share their favorite little storybooks with their own children. The first to be republished was Ann Likes Red , brought out by Purple House Press in the Fall of 2001. Now the others are being reprinted, starting with Ballerina Bess , a simple story written with only 25 words and beloved by many little girls who learned to read with it. I hope you will like it, too. The other titles in the series, to be reprinted later, are The Tent, The Rabbit, Big Beds and Little Beds, The Pond, Stop Pretending, Bill and the Fish, Brad and Neil , and my personal favorite, The Sandwich .

26 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2002

About the author

Also known as Dorothy Z. Seymour and Dorothy Seymour Mills.

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I could read on my own. It's a very sweet story about a little girl who want's to be a ballerina!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: This is Bess. Bess wants to dance. Bess wants to be a ballerina.

Premise/plot: Young readers meet Bess who wants to be a ballerina. Ballerina Bess is from the Early-Start Preschool Reader series. It has a 25 word vocabulary.

My thoughts: I had this one and Ann Likes Red growing up. While I think I prefer Ann Likes Red a little better, this one is still a lot of fun if you like vintage children's books. (It was published in 1965.)

Simple can be a great thing when you are learning to read. Words need to be either sight words (common frequency like is, was, the, this, etc.), or easy to sound out. To read a whole book on your own can be a great confidence booster.

One thing that I just noticed now as an adult is that there are a few pages where LEGS are missing. On one page readers clearly see Bess dancing ON HER TOES. And on the very next page, Bess is missing BOTH LEGS as she's shopping at a store. The sales clerk has legs, but Bess and her mother DO NOT. And on the next page. Bess, her mom, and the sales clerk are all missing legs. But fortunately Bess' legs return for the next page when she's dancing once more.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

[Sarah May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring! If nothing else, it is confusing that the entire book talks about a red outfit, but the front of the book features Bess in a pink dress. Check out my blog at www.littlebooksontheprairie.com for more children's book reviews.

[Brandi Spinn]

One of MY favorite books as a kid.

[Lauren Cusimano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I ever read.

[Pamela]

Great first reader. Emphasizes traditional parenting and gender roles.