{"product_id":"balletball-isbn-9781580899390","title":"Balletball","description":"\u003cb\u003eNini loves everything about ballet--the sparkles, the costumes, the twirling! But in the spring there's only baseball practice. Baseball is nothing like ballet. Or is it?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNini hates baseball. She hates that baseball is not ballet. She especially hates that Mom signed her up to play, but now she's stuck with the sport. Nini just can't bring herself to try. Her team starts to lose, but not even her teammates' disappointment will change her feelings. A pep talk from her coach and sparkly shoelaces help--a little. When Nini makes a game-winning catch using her ballet moves, she realizes that change might not be so bad after all, and ballet and baseball have more in common than she thought.Nini loves ballet—the leaps, the twirls, and the sparkly tutu. A week  after her recital, she’s unhappy to hear that she will begin a new  activity: baseball. From the uniform (no sparkles) to the equipment (“a  lumpy brown glove”) to her position (outfield), she’s less than  thrilled, and her attitude is unpopular with her teammates. After their  patient coach explains that some professional athletes take ballet, Nini  decides to try harder. And sure enough, the next time the opposing team  hits a ball her way, she leaps, twirls, pliés, and makes the catch for  the last out. Her team wins, and Nini renames the sport balletball.  Flint offers a series of appealing watercolor-and-brush-pen scenes with  fluid lines and pleasing use of color. The illustrations include a  racially diverse cast of characters with different abilities (one uses a  hearing aid, another wears glasses). While the story is a mix of  reality and wish-fulfillment fantasy, young children are experts at  combining the two. An optimistic, sports-themed picture book for  aspiring ballet dancers.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003eErin Dionne is the author of the picture book \u003ci\u003eCaptain's Log: Snowbound\u003c\/i\u003e and several middle-grade novels, including \u003ci\u003eLights, Camera, Disaster \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eMoxie and the Art of Rule Breaking\u003c\/i\u003e, an Edgar Award nominee. Erin is an associate professor of liberal arts at Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGillian Flint has worked as a professional illustrator since graduating with an animation and illustration degree in 2003. She illustrated \u003ci\u003eLove You Always\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eButton and Bundle\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHugga Bugga Love\u003c\/i\u003e. In her spare time Gillian enjoys reading and spending time with her family.","brand":"Charlesbridge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299803123941,"sku":"NP9781580899390","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781580899390.jpg?v=1767722141","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/balletball-isbn-9781580899390","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}