Would like to buy a book for a 4.5 y/o girl who likes ballet but has big and little sisters...

[OliviaMumsnet]

so will probably have all the obvious Angelina stuff.
Any ideas gratefully received - doesn't have to be ballet related but am looking to buy a fab book that she'll love!
TIA

These are lovely if you are looking for picture books.

The Ballet Class

Darcey Bussel has some children's books: here

Princess Poppy

Usborne Ballet Treasury - sticker book also available to go with it

Can she read yet? If so, you couldn't go wrong with a copy of "Ballet Shoes" by Noel Stretfield (sp?). It's fabulous - and maybe her older sisters could read it to her?

actually I'd get ballet shoes for even if she can't read, or failing that a cd of it.

or if you know her mum does not mind telly there was a good adaptation of it last year...

i think if you look on the ENB website there is a club that children can join, i think it's about £20 and they get sent stuff etc.?
Not a book, obviously, but might be a nice present

p.s. Ballet shoes isn't completely about ballet anyway

Oh that is worth a look

my 5 yo ds is partial to noel streatfeld, though he doesn't especially seem to want to go ballet dancing (following vile experience where he went to a try out session and the woman running it first ignored him for the WHOLE HOUR and then said "oh well I assumed he wouldn't want to join in as boys can't dance"

Ballet shoes is wonderful in being the favourite book of many girls including those who have no interest in ballet. I am about to recommend it on the Science books for gils thread - it stars the fantastic Petrova who ends up as an aircraft mechanic.

Fillyjonk, I showed my children the film of Billy Elliot to demonstrate boys doing ballet. I had utterly forgotten the film's darker undercurrents of riot police, also a lot of swearing even by my fairly liberal standards.

Still, now they know that boys can be good at ballet, and that police and miners hate each other, etc....

I have family oop north and I was at the miners strikes/marches (I imagine the more sedate ones) as a young child. Was quite an important experience for me

have thusly always been a little uneasy about the political message of that film. But actually, violence apart, it might not be a bad film to show ds.

am still fuming about that incident and it was nealy two years agoo, jesus.

Yes that would annoy me massively too.

All 3 of my dds tried ballet briefly and rejected it. dd1 likes dancing and music but hates anything pink or girly and curled up in the corner (aged 7) face down in protest at beign asked to be a Fairy Princess. dd2 refused to wear a pink leotard and also got tired of the girly themes of ballet class. and dd3 just copied the others. So we aren't a ballet family. But I still love Ballet Shoes.

I second the ballet class. They actually do a double box set (ballet class and ballet star) with a CD for £5 on the bookpeople. I think I should get commission from that place!

All brilliant suggestions - thanks as ever.
Lol at "Still, now they know that boys can be good at ballet, and that police and miners hate each other, etc...."