Ballerina Dreams features prima ballerinas Nicole, Shekinah, Veronica, Abbey, and Monica, five young girls with cerebral palsy, and their teacher and physical therapist, Joann Ferrara. This book is such a beautiful example of inclusion. The text is sensitive and positive and the photographs show so much joy, hope, and determination among the girls. ( )

What an incredibly beautiful story of some incredibly determined little ballerinas! Joann Ferrara was a physical therapist in Queens and saw a need for a special dance class for some very special little dancers. She created a ballet class for students with cerebral palsy. These little girls dreamed of being ballerinas, but other dance studios were unable to accommodate their special circumstances. This is when Joann stepped up and helped these amazing little dancers achieve their dreams!
The story is beautiful and the photographs contained throughout are so uplifting! Each of the smiles that the reader sees on each of these precious little girls' faces is enough to make your heart sing! If I had to identify one aspect of the book that did not quite appeal to me (and it is really nit-picky), it would be the text color of the photo captions. I know, it is so minute, but I would be lying if I said it didn't distract me from the story. The text of the story is black and the photo caption text is white. The background color of the entire book is pink, so the white on pink combination was a little tough to read at times (and I have perfect eyesight). If it were just a small little caption, it wouldn't have bothered me so much, but the captions, at times, almost continued the story. I hate to even mention something so trivial, but I think a small adjustment to font choice, color, or placement would have made it much better.
Please do not let my small discrepancy persuade you from reading this beautiful book! The story of these little ballerinas preparing for their first on-stage performance left this dance teacher with tears in her eyes. Anytime you can read about a child accomplishing a dream is amazing! There is nothing better than seeing a child succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment. ( )

When dreams come true! This book is a true story about a very special group of ballerinas in Queens, New York. Upon hearing that traditional dance schools in her area would not accommodate dancers with disabilities, Physical Therapist Joann Ferrara started her own ballet class! The beautiful, bouncy, ballerinas get a chance to dance each week learning new routines, wearing tutus, sparkly makeup, and even participating in a recital, just like their other dancer friends in their neighborhoods and schools. With the aid of their dance teacher and helpers, the girls were able to participate and refine their dance moves in spite of having Cerebral Palsy and other muscle disorders. The author uses a narrative structure and includes unique information in the back about each ballerina, their physical therapist dance teacher, and personal helpers, there is even an informational section titled More About Cerebral Palsy. The lovely photographs of the dancers themselves are accompanied by specific and explanatory captions. The little girls in my Preschool Special Needs class loved this book! ( )

This is an extremely touching book that brought tears to my eyes. I was able to read this to a three year old girl I know that loves dancing. She saw the book on the table and immediately asked "Can you read me the ballerina book?" She did not notice one difference between those girls and when she dances. The only reason she even noticed the helpers with the girls was because she thought one looked like her mom. I love this book because even those that need some physical help still want to go on stage and dance. There is actually a dance company in Atlanta called Full Radius Dance and their mission is to promote "physically integrated dance." When I first saw this book, it immediately reminded me of that company. They have both physically capable and physically disabled adults that dance together. Both the book and dance company, show us how beautiful we all are and how we can all achieve this art form even if it is in a different way. ( )

This book is a true story document about five little disability girls and their dreams to become ballerinas and to dance onstage. It is an inspiring and moving story about dreams and resolution.
Ages - (5-8)
Source - Pierce County Library System ( )