Belinda the Ninja Ballerina (Candida Baker, illus by Mitch Vane, Ford Street Publishing)

This is probably the first time the word ‘ninja’ has been paired with ‘ballerina’ so bravo to Candida Baker for her imaginative title. The cover too, thanks to illustrator Mitch Vane, dispenses with the traditional (and frankly yawnsome) depiction of a girl decked out in fairy floss pink. Belinda is all in black and in the middle of doing some serious martial arts kicks, her blonde curly hair held back by a black hairband. To her mother’s chagrin, she does not want to do ballet lessons; instead Belinda wants to be a ninja. But she agrees to accompany her cousin Millie to a ballet class and to don the regulation tutu. Although Millie is applauded for her jetes and curtsies, the instructor is nonplussed by Belinda’s headstands and cartwheels. At the school concert all of the other girls are busy being Little Miss Muffet while poor Belinda chafes in her frock and bloomers. The happy resolution is that she becomes the scary ninja spider, which pleases everyone. Text is used sparingly and the pictures are appropriately drawn in an exuberant flurry of movement. This is a great book for girls of early school age as its simple message of remaining true to yourself and not following the crowd is a perennially important one.

Thuy On is a reviewer and books editor of the Big Issue

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Category: Reviews