Although this book is a little unrealistic (the dog being able to go everywhere with her), it is still perfect for young children! It shows to follow your passion!

Katarina Ballerina is co-written by one of my favorite people of Quarantine 2020, Tiler Peck. The pictures in this book are precious and will absolutely captivate my youngest students. While the story is lacking, I love the theme of hard work in this book. So often, new releases only focus on acceptance of self, but they don't encourage kids to work hard or do their best. I love that this book includes both!

Katerina Ballerina follows the journey of Katerina who longs to be a ballet dancer. When her school holds a talent show, she is determined to enter, even though she has never taken a lesson before. When the show does not go as well as she expected, her dad see the passion she has for dance and agrees to sign her up for lessons.

But lessons don't go the way Katerina expected either. She feels out of place with her dance attire as well as her skill level. She makes a new friend, Sunny, and the two become inseparable as they work together to improve Katerina's dance skills.

When a competition for a spot a national dance camp is announce, Katerina and Sunny prepare a dance together. On the night of the show, disaster strikes and Sunny is unable to dance. Will Katerina be able to dance and earn a spot at the camp?

An earnest young girl loves ballet but since they can’t afford lessons, she watches YouTube videos and practices in her room. After a disastrous talent show that doesn’t go well but shows her dad her bravery and that her heart’s desire is for lessons, Katrina’s dad lets her have lessons. (She shows up in red swimming suit and homemade tutu!) but she makes a friend who helps her with ballet terms and adjusting to formal classes. When a competition comes up, Katrina will need to learn how to work hard and still enjoy her dancing.

A little girl's determination and a dash of spunk make her a ballerina, who dances to her own tune.

Katarina loves ballet, but her father just doesn't have enough money to pay for lessons. When a talent show is announced at school, she's determined to win and use the prize money to help pay for ballet classes. While things don't quite go as she'd hoped, she does get the chance to attend a ballet school, but her independent style doesn't quite mix with the rest of the ballerinas.

Katarina is a girl with tons of energy, dreams and a lovely lean toward doing her own thing. She's never over-bearing or snippy, though, making her simply the kind of person, who would be fun to play with and be around. She has friends, who support her, but still, faces issues which many young readers can relate to. So, when problems hit, it's easy to root for her.

The troubles are very usual ones. While her father and her have a wonderful relationship, the constant financial struggle does cause a little trouble. Instead of grumbling, Katarina immediately wants to help out as much as she can—an attitude which matches her sunshine of a personality. The peer pressure she faces from the other ballerinas does get to her a little bit, but even this one pulls through in inspiring ways which does bring a message to readers, too.

While this book is for middle graders, I'd slide it toward the lower end. There are several aspects to the story which stretch reality (the dog following her everywhere, Katarina's use of paper without a thought for a tutu, etc.) But it is a sweet story, which especially girls who enjoy ballet are sure to enjoy.

This is a short read about a young girl named Katarina who yearns to be a ballerina more than anything. Not only does she feel called to dance, but her mother used to dance as well and she feels connected to her. But Katarina knows that her father struggles to pay the bills and wants to make it worth his while.
I really enjoyed the own voices aspect of this book, the authors that collaborated are both performers themselves, and one might even show up in the book! This would be a great book for a dancer, especially one who feels like they don't fit in with the typical ballerina crowd.

Thank you, Netgalley and Aladdin for the ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Katarina Ballerina is a cute story written by a professional ballet dancer Tiler Peck and a Broadway & Tv actor Kyle Harris. I loved this story and how wonderfully it was written for young kids. It is an inspiration and an encouragement for young kids who want to follow their passions. It is a great story of perseverance, dedication, and hard work. It also encourages the kids to have fun and enjoy the passion as well. Katarina the young black girl's struggles are portrayed realistically in this story. The book is an ideal story for young girls and boys alike with a good message at the end. I loved the illustrations in the book as well. Overall I believe kids will find this story to be an interesting and engaging read. I gave the book 4 stars. I recommend checking it out for young readers.

Katarina is 10 years old and longs to be a ballerina. While she hasn't taken lessons, she has been teaching herself and has a real passion for dance. After dancing in the school talent show, her dad signs her up for ballet lessons. She quickly realizes that ballet is a lot harder than she expected, but is determined to become the best ballerina she can be.

This was a very cute story that is great for anyone who likes dance. There was a lot of ballet references and terminology that was fun. I liked following Katarina's story as she learns to become a better dancer and realizes what she loves about dance. I also really liked the street performer, Beatz, that she befriends. My one issue with this is that the book seems to be recommended for ages 8 and up, but I found the story read a lot younger even though the character is 10. I will be recommending this to my fans of dance books.

Katarina longs to be a ballerina, but her father can’t afford to pay for lessons. She is trying to learn ballet from YouTube and the TV is a store window. When the school’s show is announced, she gets excited and decides to compete for the grand prize. When her father realizes how good she is, he struggles to make her dream of lessons come true. As she takes lessons, she begins to realize it’s a lot harder than she expected. With the help of some friends, she improves. When the head of the dance studio announces a competition to earn the spot at a dance camp, Katarina knows this could be her big chance. Only two people will get to go. Can she find a way to win a spot at the ballet camp? Does she have what it takes to stand out? Will her father be able to afford to continue her lessons? This is a wonderfully written story about perseverance, friendship, and following your dreams. The plot is simple and engaging. The characters are likable and easy to root for. Fans of realistic fiction, ballet, and friendship will enjoy reading this book.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us in exchange for an honest review. No financial Please note: This was a complementary review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

My nine-year-old loved this book. So much, in fact, that she is hoping for another book to come out about Katarina! Such a great way to share some life-lessons and help inspire my daughter to persevere through any obstacle that comes her way. Also love the side-kick of the family dog. The graphics were also fun and very fantastic!

This book is...fine. I found it hard to remain engaged, as an adult reader, but can imagine a child reader who would not struggle to enjoy it. The illustrations are well done as well.

My fellow librarian tried to warn me about this one, but I decided to read it anyway...

I had high expectations based on Katarina's ambitions and the book's representation, but I was disappointed. The story was unremarkable to me and was filled with unrealistic aspects (e.g., the dog being able to go wherever it wants, Tiler's interactions with Katarina, and the way Beatz is involved at the end). It also lacks the characterization I expected (e.g., her Indian American friend Sunny only exists as a foil for Katarina and does not really get her own personality or any depth) and is filled with cliches.

Katarina dreams of being a ballet dancer and, although it does stretch their household budget to its limits, her dad eventually agrees to sign her up for ballet classes. Katarina struggles at first, but gets help from classmate Sunny and encouraging words from various adults in supporting roles. Katarina's hard work is put to the test at the end of the book, when a ballet competition is held to choose a lucky few dancers to attend a prestigious international dance camp.

This was... fine. No less, but also no more than that. It's got good intentions in teaching kids that passion and hard work are both necessary in order to achieve great things, which is a decent enough lesson. In this case, however, it's one sprinkled with cliches and stereotypes that should really have no place in something published in 2020 (it's a ballet book; of course there's a Russian teacher who speaks broken English! 'gooping off' indeed...).

Nitpicky bullet points that the target audience won't care about:
- Poor Sunny, whose only purpose is to advance the plot in whichever way is needed, even if it makes her character completely change on cue. Someone needs to help Katarina catch up on ballet technique? Sunny knows everything and is your girl! Someone needs to come up with a way to earn money? Sunny has a great idea! Someone needs to be a foil to Katarina's new-found ambition? Sunny suddenly doesn't really care and can't even remember a jeté! We need to make sure Katarina gets into camp? Better get Sunny injured!
- Most of the family plots are pretty underdeveloped. Katarina's dead dancer mom gets mentioned off-handedly now and then but her influence on Katarina isn't really explored properly. Katarina's family's relative poverty is told more than shown and ultimately doesn't seem to matter much. But, then, I'm spoiled at how point-on this was handled in books such as "When You Reach Me".
- DOGS. I don't even care if they're portrayed unrealistically. DOGS.
- The first time the girls meet Tiler Peck, I was vaguely annoyed by the self-insertion. By the time Katarina was having counseling sessions over hot chocolate with Tiler, I was mostly just amused and felt vindicated for the amount of horrible self-insert RPF I wrote as a tween. Maybe the Spice Girls DID want me as their 6th band member all along!

This is a sweet story about a young girl who has a dream of taking ballet lessons. Unfortunately, Katarina’s father tells her that they are unable to afford them. Instead of giving up, Katarina takes it upon herself to learn on her own by watching tv and YouTube videos. After seeing her perform in a school talent show, her Dad finds a way to pay for the lessons. Finally, her dream is coming true. This is a great story for young girls, and even boys, if they are so inclined. It teaches perseverance and determination. No one can stop you from achieving your dream but you. It also shows the ugly side of bullying and making fun of those that are different. However, on the flip side, it shows empathy and caring, offering a helping hand to someone who is struggling. The story, along with the darling illustrations will make you smile and find hope. In today’s current climate, I think these are important lessons to highlight. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Katarina Ballerina is a fun, engaging little chapter book about a little girl who wants desperately to be a ballerina. Ballet does not comes easy to her but she is determined to accomplish her dreams.

This a book any young girl or boy who loves ballet will want to read. Katarina has a special relationship with her dad which is also a nice addition to the storyline.

The book is well written, Katarina is a lovable character and the story moves quickly.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts

Katerina Ballerina is a book that young readers are sure to appreciate. It’s fine fiction with a strong central character and youthful voice. A book that’s ready to be added to the classroom shelf.

I love the message of this book - chasing your dreams and perseverance. This is a great chapter book for elementary students. I love the little illustrations every few pages. I plan to let my little one read this in a couple years.

Scrappy little Katarina will be an inspiration for elementary age kids facing obstacles of any type. It's a lovely message of perseverance.

Well-written, relevant and relatable!

Thank you to Tiler Peck and and Kyle Harris, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Aladdin, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.