Preiss Glaser, Robin, and Jacqueline Preiss Wietzman. Gloria’s Promise: A Ballet Dancer’s First Step. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-43514-4. Unpaged. $15.99.  Grades PK-2.

Gloria’s Promise  is the story of a young girl’s passion for ballet and her audition for the American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive program. On her way to the audition room, Gloria discovers a room of pointe shoes, dancers being fitted costumes, and a rehearsal in progress. All serve to heighten Gloria’s excitement for her big moment in front of Miss Harvey, the director of the dancing school. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned when Gloria falls in the midst of skipping across the floor with the other dancers. With a few encouraging words from Miss Harvey, Gloria picks herself up and continues with the audition. Then begins what seems to Gloria a very, very long wait to receive her results. Fortunately, the story ends on a positive note for Gloria, and she dances into a new adventure.

THOUGHTS: The illustrations in this book showcase the author’s and Gloria’s love for dance–and the authors’ message of perseverance and hard work is clear, but not heavy-handed. Recommended for anyone looking to update or add to their collections for young dance enthusiasts.  

Picture Book