Brielle's Birthday Ball presents picture book readers with inspirational stories of dance by ballerina Konora and others. It celebrates dance movements through the experiences of young Brielle, whose anticipation of her seventh birthday is accompanied by an outline of the steps to an "I'm excited" dance that illustrates, through small step-by-step photos of dancer Konora, bodily reactions to happy news and more.
 
Each of Brielle's everyday experiences receives a translation into movement. For example, the story illustrates Brielle's unwrapping a special gift of a mysterious advance birthday package that lands outside her door, while Konora's dance translation invites kids to adopt responsive movements: "Pretend to unwrap the ball, then character switch-a-roo and pretend to be the ball. Onto the ground we go, and roll sideways. As the ball stops, find a moment of stillness and rest."
 
In effect, Brielle's Birthday Ball is a bilingual presentation presented in two languages: that of a traditional story, and its counterpart in movement and exercise.
 
Adults who work with the very young to read Brielle's discovery and adventure will find the link between dance and life experience to be unusual, accessible, and fun.
 
Brielle's Birthday Ball is a great way of introducing kids to the world of dance while couching these movements into a broader journey of magic, dreams, and movement responses.
 
Written by a mother/daughter team, Brielle's Birthday Ball is based on a grandmother's story and celebrates ballet by making young readers "dance partners" in the celebration of life. It is very highly recommended for anyone seeking to introduce ballet concepts at an earlier age, and more accessibly, than most picture books offer.