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Angelina Ballerina
A Dance of Friendship
Angelina is very excited—her new friend Anya is joining her ballet class! But when Anya becomes the center of attention, Angelina becomes jealous and the two mouselings get into a big fight. How will Angelina make things right again and find the perfect way to say "I'm sorry"?
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2006
50 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Holabird
292 books82 followersKatharine Holabird is an American writer, best known as the author of the Angelina Ballerina series.
As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a nursery school.
In 1983, her first children’s book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Holabird’s son, Adam, was her inspiration for the character Henry, and Angelina’s character was inspired by her daughters’ love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters dancing around her. In fact, the Angelina books were originally about a girl, but then Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. “The impulsive character of Angelina came alive,” says Holabird, “and seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy, while her plump and ebullient body expressed drama and attitude in every twitch of her tail.” Angelina is a very emotional character; she is sensitive and often bursts into tears right before offering an apology. She struggles with her conscience but always ends up doing the right thing—which is very familiar to many young children. The universal childhood themes in Angelina include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, & dedication. Holabird’s goal was to realistically portray the difficulties of growing up. According to Holabird, it is a ballerina book for “all the passionate little dancers and performers in the world,” including her own two daughters, which is why she “decided to explore the impulsive, highly emotional character of a small but determined ballerina.”
The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Angelina Ballerina. In 1986 and 1987, she received the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina’s Christmas was selected as Child Study Association’s Children’s Book of the Year in 1987. The following year, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon, their first Alexander book; it is aimed at preschool children who want to be consoled about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the Alexander sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat, which portrays a strong mother/son relationship while the two go on a voyage to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.
In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London (known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney) secured the rights for Angelina Ballerina and commissioned Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also developed a lot of Angelina merchandise. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Angelina series premiered on PBS Kids TV in the United States. Angelina Ballerina’s Invitation to the Ballet received the prestigious Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina was named the official spokesperson of National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina made her debut on PBS Kids Sprout, a twenty-four-hour digital television channel for preschoolers in the U.S.
As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a nursery school.
In 1983, her first children’s book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Holabird’s son, Adam, was her inspiration for the character Henry, and Angelina’s character was inspired by her daughters’ love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters dancing around her. In fact, the Angelina books were originally about a girl, but then Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. “The impulsive character of Angelina came alive,” says Holabird, “and seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy, while her plump and ebullient body expressed drama and attitude in every twitch of her tail.” Angelina is a very emotional character; she is sensitive and often bursts into tears right before offering an apology. She struggles with her conscience but always ends up doing the right thing—which is very familiar to many young children. The universal childhood themes in Angelina include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, & dedication. Holabird’s goal was to realistically portray the difficulties of growing up. According to Holabird, it is a ballerina book for “all the passionate little dancers and performers in the world,” including her own two daughters, which is why she “decided to explore the impulsive, highly emotional character of a small but determined ballerina.”
The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Angelina Ballerina. In 1986 and 1987, she received the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina’s Christmas was selected as Child Study Association’s Children’s Book of the Year in 1987. The following year, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon, their first Alexander book; it is aimed at preschool children who want to be consoled about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the Alexander sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat, which portrays a strong mother/son relationship while the two go on a voyage to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.
In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London (known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney) secured the rights for Angelina Ballerina and commissioned Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also developed a lot of Angelina merchandise. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Angelina series premiered on PBS Kids TV in the United States. Angelina Ballerina’s Invitation to the Ballet received the prestigious Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina was named the official spokesperson of National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina made her debut on PBS Kids Sprout, a twenty-four-hour digital television channel for preschoolers in the U.S.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 12, 2022
Angelina offers to let an exchange student stay at her house for a couple of weeks, but what starts as a fun adventure proves to be tedious as she becomes Jealous (again) of the new girl, especially as Anya becomes the center of attention.
Seriously, these later Angelina books are not my favorites. Angelina is always jealous it seems, as though that is the only emotion she experiences. I liked Anya and the way she bravely sets out to learn new things. I also like that Alice is fine with there being a newcomer to their group. Why can't Angelina show off some of her better traits too?
Thankfully she does eventually get her chance. One thing Angelina does have is a good heart, and she hates it when she realizes she's hurt those around her. This redeems both Angelina and this book as she and Anya finally dance together and cement their friendship.
So...this is a decent book in the series, but not as good as the earlier books.
Seriously, these later Angelina books are not my favorites. Angelina is always jealous it seems, as though that is the only emotion she experiences. I liked Anya and the way she bravely sets out to learn new things. I also like that Alice is fine with there being a newcomer to their group. Why can't Angelina show off some of her better traits too?
Thankfully she does eventually get her chance. One thing Angelina does have is a good heart, and she hates it when she realizes she's hurt those around her. This redeems both Angelina and this book as she and Anya finally dance together and cement their friendship.
So...this is a decent book in the series, but not as good as the earlier books.
August 6, 2022
nothing truly beats the originals, and though angelina’s feelings of disappointment and jealousy were valid, i didn’t like how she snapped at anya just because of her sitting on her bed. anya’s a new person who is just staying with them and a beginner in ballet. but atleast they made up in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2021
Not as good as the originals.
December 20, 2022
This book frustrated the hell out of me. Like Adults will treat a child differently and get mad when the child feels less than someone else???? What did you expect…
October 14, 2018
Angelina Ballerina, A Dance of Friendship, is about Angelina and her friend Anaya spending time together and learning a ballet dance of friendship. In this story the theme is prevalent throughout the entire book. It keeps the focus clear on the importance of friendship and how friendship has its ups and downs with everybody. Angelina and her friend, Anaya, were assigned a dance to do together by Angelina’s ballet teacher. As they were spending time together, the two girls got into a small fight. When discussed with her ballet teacher, Angelina realizes that it isn’t easy to be away from family for long lengths of time. The author’s use of plot and theme connected to the readers because friendship is an important thing in many children’s lives. The fighting between friends over shared items is an important theme to focus on because during these ages, there are many children who fight over shared items and then make up again. The illustrator uses the illustrations to move the plot along. In each drawing, you can see the feeling and moods that Angelina and her friend Anaya were going through.
As a fantasy book, this book does a good job of keeping a theme that will be relatable for many generations. It features the idea of friendship which is reoccurring in the youth. It has characteristics for a fantasy book because the main characters are all mice and they are doing things that humans would do, such as ballet and go to the ballet. Alongside the element of giving animals, human characteristics, the illustrator worked with the story to create images that portray the story further and give more detail to children who are the visual readers. As a book, I think that it does a good job bringing the point across and taking in the different perspectives or reactions that a person might feel when they get into a fight with their friends or are away from home for a long time. This book could relate to many people because of the way people respond to arguments with friends. Another thing that people face include the way they feel when someone else is receiving more attention than the individual is.
As a fantasy book, this book does a good job of keeping a theme that will be relatable for many generations. It features the idea of friendship which is reoccurring in the youth. It has characteristics for a fantasy book because the main characters are all mice and they are doing things that humans would do, such as ballet and go to the ballet. Alongside the element of giving animals, human characteristics, the illustrator worked with the story to create images that portray the story further and give more detail to children who are the visual readers. As a book, I think that it does a good job bringing the point across and taking in the different perspectives or reactions that a person might feel when they get into a fight with their friends or are away from home for a long time. This book could relate to many people because of the way people respond to arguments with friends. Another thing that people face include the way they feel when someone else is receiving more attention than the individual is.
June 8, 2008
My favorite thing about this book is the relationship between Angelina and Anya, which is not unlike my OWN relationship with my sister who is I BULLSHIT YOU NOT, also named Anya.
Creepylicious!
Creepylicious!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews