by Anne Monaghan

The author brings you right into the world of Karen Kain and ballet in five short chapters. The book shows what you would see if you visited Karen in an exercise session. It tells about how she got interested in ballet and the work that goes into being a ballerina. It tells about the history of ballet and how it has changed. Quotes from Karen in the text help the reader get to know her as a person, not just as a "star."

I remember one of the first woman learners I worked with found great inspiration from reading this book. She identified strongly with the years and years of hard work devoted to achieving a goal. Karen's model gave her strength on her long road to literacy.

There is a two-page "word list" at the back which I don't find very useful.

The booklet is part of a Canadian series that was written using a "formula" for "readability." In other words, the sentences are short and the vocabulary is "controlled." The text isn't too choppy, however, and the story itself is lively enough to keep the pages turning.

The drawback to the book (and the series) is the bad design. The type is tiny, the pages glare and many people - myself included - find it hard to read. There are no photographs of Karen, and the two line illustrations don't break up the text or make it more interesting. What a wonderful book (and series) it would be if it could be reissued, in a format that would be more accessible to new readers!

A review by Nancy Miller, Toronto, Ontario