Zuri Ray Tries Ballet
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From New York Times bestselling author Tami Charles and rising star illustrator Sharon Sordo comes the first book in a charming picture book series about a fun, spunky girl with a huge heart!
Meet Zuri Ray. She’s always willing to go the extra mile for family and friends and is up for any challenge. At least, that was before her best friend, Jessie, asked her to join a ballet camp.
Now Zuri isn’t sure if she’s up for everything. While Jessie can’t wait to chassé and plié while wearing tight hair buns and frilly tutus, that doesn’t sound like Zuri at all! But she can’t let her friend down. Maybe classical ballet just needs a new spin . . .
Perfect for fans of Fancy Nancy and Fresh Princess, Zuri Ray Tries Ballet encourages kids to follow their hearts and stay true to themselves!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Zuri Ray and her BFFD ("Best Friend From Diapers") Jessie Colón take turns finding "anything-but-ordinary things" to do together. Jessie picks a weeklong ballet camp, and promises that it will be "fabulous, dahling!" But once at the barre, Charles (All Because You Matter) writes, Zuri feels out of place amid the other "proper" and "prim" amateur dancers; a pirouette attempt sends her sprawling. Reminded by her Black mother and white father that the family motto is "When the going gets tough... the Rays get tougher," Zuri embraces the class on her own terms: in a soccer uniform with moves inspired by the playing field. Jessie is furious, but the wise teacher counsels that "both soccer and ballet require focus, technique and dedication," repairing the friendship before the kids move on to the next activity. Digital cartoons by Sordo (the Ana & Andrew series) have the bright-eyed characters of contemporary message-driven animation, with lots of ancillary moments, including two brief dress-up segments, to add visual oomph. Balletomanes may not appreciate Zuri's frustration, but it's nice to see a variation on the traditional ballet take, one that resolves into a gentle comedy of fearless girlhood and friendship. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator's agent: James Burns, the Bright Agency.
