Angelina Ballerina

Story

Angelina Ballerina’s favourite thing to do in the whole world is to dance. So much so, that her parents start getting frustrated with her when she doesn’t want to do anything else. Everything changes once she starts going to ballet school. This could be the start of something really special…

Why we chose it

Beautifully detailed illustrations bring Angelina’s world to life. A much loved story particularly for ballet lovers, dreamers and anyone who loves perfectly created miniature worlds.

Where it came from

Katherine Holabird (1948- ) is an American writer who read a lot of fairy tales and ballets such as Cinderella and Swan Lake whilst growing up, influencing Angelina Ballerina. She wrote it initially for her daughters, inspired by young people’s love of dance and performance. Helen Craig (1934- ) is an English children’s book illustrator. When Craig was only 16, she got apprenticed and lived in Spain for three years, where she began to practice illustrating.

Where it went next

Angelina Ballerina has gone on to have huge success, selling millions of copies and being translated into over 20 languages. In 2014, Craig donated the Angelina Ballerina illustration archive to Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books.

Angelina Ballerina is considered a childhood classic, some of Holabird’s stories being adapted for the TV series that ran from 2001-2006. In 1985, Angelina Ballerina won the Kentucky Blue Glass Award, later going on to win the Northern Lights Book Award in 2019 as well.

Associated stories

Angelina Ballerina is the first of about 50 books in the series, the immediate sequel being published a year after, called Angelina and the Princess (1984). Some of the most successful of these include: Angelina at the Fair (1985), Angelina on Stage (1986) and Angelina and Alice (1987). Finty Williams, who was the voice of Angelina in the TV show, also read them for the Puffin Audiobook collection (2004).