XO Ballerina Big Sis

by Tiler Peck

Go backstage with beloved prima ballerina Tiler Peck as she speaks to young dancers everywhere in this delightful and inspiring ballet book for children.

Filled with practical advice, how-tos, insider tips, and lots of love, XO Ballerina Big Sis shares Tiler Peck’s insights and hard-won knowledge about everything you want to know about ballet.

Learn how to properly prepare for class, handle new roles, prep your toe shoes, control stage fright, deal with injuries, manage competition, and stay positive and focused – all delivered with Tiler’s personal touch, humor, and big heart.

An inspirational, must-own ballet book for kids and tweens:
- Features advice for aspiring ballet dancers from Tiler Peck – the internationally acclaimed Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet
- Tiler’s uplifting and supportive manner will inspire young dancers who need a ‘ballet big sister’, with advice on difficult topics like puberty and nutrition, alongside encouragement and pro tips
- A wonderful dance book for girls 8-12, and a great gift for kids with an interest in performance, theater, drama, and music

This is an essential handbook for budding ballerinas (and their dance moms and dads!), beautifully organized and illustrated to answer all your questions about ballet's challenges and rewards. From the best ballet big sis ever, XO Ballerina Big Sis is written by a dance luminary who is widely recognized as one of the top ballerinas of our time. With her first non-fiction book, her insights are available to everyone!

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Olivia Spurchise · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book it has so many great tips and i think it’s a great book for someone who needs to work on their technique. dance is a work ethic and i think tiler deeply expresses that in this book. having 8 years of dance experience this has helped improve me not only as a dancer but as a regular human in life. tiler expresses that dance is something that cannot be perfected but is something to strive for, something like a goal. it does not depend on your technique but your work ethic and that is the most important thing.

[Juan A. Ramirez]

For the Cut, I spoke to the Prima herself about this gift to young ballerinas everywhere, how to give and receive advice, dating in the workplace, and why she’s proudly anti-ChatGPT.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! And I'm not a little girl!!!

[Amanda Hainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My and my daughter’s favorite ballerina sharing advice for young dancers? Fantastic! We love Tiler and are so happy she wrote this book. So much knowledge.

[Luella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring "how to" book for children who are into ballet. Practical advice and words of wisdom written by a Principal Dancer with the NYC Ballet. It is filled with useful information. Thank you to Goodreads and DK for the book.

[Mikayla]

This is such an adorable little handbook for budding ballerinas. If my daughter grows up wanting to become a professional dancer I will definitely get this book for her.