12+ of the Best Picture books about Ballet and Ballerinas

As a young girl I took ballet classes and I loved it! My favorite part was the storytelling that we got to do through dance when I got to participate in small roles of larger performances. Though I didn’t continue my ballet for long, I will always cherish the memories I made and the lessons I learned. Below is a list of books that are perfect for inspiring young ballerinas and celebrating the form of dance that is equally beautiful as it is powerful.

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The Story Orchestra: Swan Lake: Press the note to hear Tchaikovsky’s music by Katy Flint and Jessica Courtney Tickle – We love the Story Orchestra series because each page spread has a button that you can push to hear an orchestra play a section of the music that goes with the page spread. In this case it is a summary of the whole Swan Lake Ballet performance.

Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig- We are big Angelina Ballerina fans over here and this first book where she falls in love with ballet is probably my favorite of the bunch.

Flora and the Flamingo and Flora and the Peacocks by Molly Idle- I adore the Flora series and these two are my favorites. Each one is wordless and shows Flora dancing with a feathered friend. Each dance is beautifully portrayed and conveys a love and appreciation of dance.

When Langston Dances by Kaija Langley and Keith Mallett – This is a story about a young boy who loves ballet. Despite a bit of unkind teasing from a few peers, Langston continues on in his practicing and has the support of his family and community. Such an empowering story about dedication and reaching your dreams.

Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder and Julie Morstad- This is a picture book biography of the life and career of ballerina Anna Pavlova. The illustrations are phenomenal and I love it.

The Nutcracker by New York City Ballet and Valeria Docampo- This edition not only has lovely illustatrations, but the illustrations and storyline both are representative of the New York Ballet production of The Nutcracker. It makes this an extra special book and a perfect pairing with fans of the ballet. (I love that it includes some random trivia facts about the NYC Ballet production of The Nutcracker in the back.)

Welcome to Ballet School by Ashley Bouder and Julia Bereciartu- This thick book is written by a professional ballerina and is done incredibly well. In the book we follow a small ballet class as they learn proper ballet positions and technique as well as prepare for a performance of Swan Lake. Nonfiction information in a highly enjoyable way.

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon, Alexandria LaFaye and  Jessica Gibson- This is the inspiring and true story of ballerina Sylvia Townsend and how she taught herself to dance ballet using books from a bookmobile. Her resilience and dedication is inspiring.

Zombelinaby Kristyn Crow and Molly Idle- Zombelina is your average zombie girl who has a flair for dancing.  However, when her mom puts her in ballet class her human classmates don’t know quite what to make of her.  In the end, Zombelina finds the courage to show them a new way to do things that is just as wonderful as ever before and teaches acceptance.  

Tallulah’s Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger- Tallulah is a young ballerina who loves learning ballet, but wants to be in toe shoes like the older girls so badly. In the story she learns that some things are worth waiting for and to enjoy the journey to get there.

Parker Shines On: Another Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry, Jessica Curry and Brittany Jackson- In this story a little girl named Parker is frustrated because her skill level with ballet isn’t quite where she wants it to be. However, she is inspired by ballerinas before her and knows that hard work and dedication pay off. And it does in the end of this lovely story.

Ella Bella Ballerina and Cinderella (Ella Bella Ballerina Series) by James Mayhew – This beautiful book is one of a series about ballerina Ella Bella. In this one she magically enters the ballet of Cinderella and readers get a fun look at this wonderful ballet.

Waltz of the Snowflakes by Elly MacKay-T his edition is a stunning wordless book that shows the Nutcracker ballet through the eyes of a young gir who is mesmerized by itl. It is such a unique take and definitely has a magical feel to it.

Miss Lina’s Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone and Christine Davenier- This is the sweet story of Miss Lina’s class of little ballerinas and how they love to dance everywhere together in perfect unison and how they need to adjust when a new girl joins their group.

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