Guest Post by Maria Hanley: Tallulah's Tutu

When I found out that Maria Hanley of Maria's Movers was going to be attending a public launch of Tallulah's Tutu last week, I begged her to write a guest post about it for me. Thankfully she said yes! Publisher Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) released the book on March 21st, and Maria attended the launch in New York City on March 24th. Thanks so much, Maria, for letting us live vicariously through you! 

Last week I attended a book release for Tallulah's Tutu at Third Street Music School Settlement. The book, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, was a huge hit! As I stood in line to get my book autographed among all of the young ballerinas, I took note of how much a book about ballet can inspire children. I felt like a kid again, only I wasn't wearing pink ;)

The release was accompanied by a ballet performance starring the children who study ballet at the school. Author Marilyn Singer narrated the book as the dancers performed. It was really neat to see the book come alive. The children's ballet teacher said the students were introduced to the book a year and a half ago and have been working with Tallulah ever since! Illustrator Alexandra Boiger also brought a clay sculpture of Tallulah to the event. Wow!

I really like the book. It teaches a good story, especially for little ones. Tallulah goes to ballet class every week and really, really wants a tutu. She uses her imagination to tell herself her tutu is flying in from Paris or driving in from New Jersey (funny parts), but to her surprise her tutu never arrives. Eventually she stops going to class, but everywhere she is and everything she sees reminds her of ballet. She finally returns to ballet to keep practicing, and she realizes that with hard work, someday she will get her tutu! 

"You have to wait awhile, Tallulah. It takes time and a lot of practice to earn your tutu." 

The story uses a lot of ballet vocabulary, and the pictures are so detailed and beautiful! I think it's just perfect for three- to six-year-olds who love ballet. My favorite part? There is a boy in the story, too! 

Have you read Tallulah's Tutu? I would love to hear what you think about it! 

In 2008, independent dance educator Maria Hanley created Maria's Movers--a program that offers dance, movement, and yoga classes to boys and girls ages 5 month to 10 years throughout New York City. Maria has a master's degree in dance education from New York University and a bachelor's degree in dance performance from Slippery Rock University. She shares many of her creative ideas at her popular blog Move. Create. Educate. 

Check out Maria's blog today for links to more materials related to Tallulah's Tutu, including additional book reviews, an interview with author Marilyn Singer, and an activity kit!