Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd ; Hard Cover, Picture Book ; Extra Purchase

Angelina, Star of the Show

For fans of the other Angelina Ballerina books, this will be a hit, with the same cute, sweet, tutu-wearing mouse, and lots of floweriness. The story is straight-forward enough, and relatable to kids, who may not have ever been on a river voyage with their grandparents to a mouse jamboree, but can probably connect with the idea of being asked by grown-ups to do things they’d rather not, and perhaps causing problems because they’re too distracted by their own interests to pay proper attention to tasks at hand. Reading as a grown-up, I have to confess to being irritated by Angelina’s repeatedly causing problems for others without ever being concerned by the problems she caused, and only being moved to tears when her antics created problems for herself. I found her rather selfish. In the end, grandma is understanding, and helps Angelina work around the problem she landed herself in, and everything is hunky dory at the triumphant finale.