Princess! Fairy! Ballerina!

PopPreS-Gr 2—When three friends meet on a rainy day, none can agree on what to play. The first wants to be a royal princess, making royal rules and riding royal unicorns. The second chooses to be a magical fairy, conjuring spells and flying over rainbows. The third prefers to be a ballerina, soaring high above the stage as a graceful swan while an imaginary audience cheers. Even the idea of a contest fails to help them agree, as they argue over whether it should be a flying, throne-sitting, or balancing contest. Angry and disappointed, the girls sulk on opposite corners of the room until the lure of raindrops and puddle stomping entices them to spend the day, hand-in-hand, outside. All ardent fans of anything connected to the regal, magical, and fancifully graceful world of princesses, fairies, and ballerinas will surely gravitate to this story, which further demonstrates how compromise is necessary for any friendship to work. Murguia's gentle pastel colors in varied shades of blue, green, and pink are further enhanced by the sparkly colors on the cover page. One of the most memorable parts of the book is when each friend thrusts forth a symbol of her personal favorite: a blue tiara, a green wand, and a pink toe shoe. There are an abundance of picture books about princesses, fairies, and ballerinas, but fewer that unite all three.