In the story, Tallulah works through frustration, and understands that she must earn her tutu. She learns that patience and practice are definitely work the time and effort.
3-5
Pierce College Library System

Couldn't decide three or four stars... but the beginning is quite long, and we don't get follow-through with Beckett, the adorable little brother, or enough with the boy in the class. The adults don't explain or show T. things - she has to mostly figure out everything on her own. I guess that's kind of a good thing... but I know that when I was a kid I wanted a little more guidance. But T. does learn the vallue of patience and hard work, so good. ( )

46 months - A good book for little girls who are taking or would like to take ballet. You can't be instantly good at something... it takes practice and patience and lots of effort. Lots of good ballet terms. ( )

Tallulah want to be a ballerina, but she quit.
source: Pierce College Library
Age: 4-6

When Tallulah spots a beautiful pink tutu in the window of the local ballet store, she is seized with a desire to be a ballerina, and convinced that, as soon as she has that lovely piece of apparel (lavender in her case, she decides), she will be a great dancer. Her mother suggests that lessons might not be amiss, and so Tallulah embarks on her ballet career, convinced that her tutu is just around the corner. When her expectations are not met, and she discovers that she must earn a tutu, her initial reaction is one of dismay and anger, and she storms out of class. Will Tallulah return to ballet, or is that tutu she dreams of forever out of her reach...?

With its sweet tale of a girl, a tutu, and an important life lesson about working toward one's dreams, Tallulah's Tutu is a wonderful picture-book, with plenty of entertaining details - I loved that Tallulah's little brother likes to copy her, and becomes interested in ballet as well! - and adorable illustrations. It is the latter that really lift this one from a three to a four-star title for me (I was wavering): from the delightful endpapers, which depict Tallulah in the various ballet positions, to the interior watercolors, Alexandra Boiger's artwork is just charming, capturing Tallulah's insouciant appeal perfectly. Highly recommended to young would-be ballerinas, or to little girls who like sparkles and the color pink. This one caters to that taste, but also supplies an important (but by no means heavy-handed) message! ( )