By Debbie Allen
A tall girl with big feet is told she's too much for ballet, until the very thing that made her stand out is what gets her onto the stage.
Sassy loves ballet, but she is a head taller than everyone in her class, with long legs and big feet, and it means she mostly gets stuck dancing offstage in the wings while the smaller girls take the spotlight. Two of those girls tease her about her size, and it stings. Then a chance comes to audition for a special summer dance program, and Sassy's uncle helps her see that standing out is not something to hide. She auditions, and her long legs and big leaps are exactly what a choreographer is looking for, and she dances into the light at last.
For a dance-loving child who has ever felt too tall, too big, too much, this is the book that says the exact thing about you that feels wrong is going to turn out to be your gift. Debbie Allen based Sassy on her own daughters' years in ballet, and it shows in the real detail of class and audition. Kadir Nelson's paintings make Sassy glow with power and grace, and the message never comes across as a lesson because Sassy is far too much fun for that.