Ella Bella Ballerina and a Midsummer Night's Dream - by James Mayhew (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Ella's kindly ballet teacher, Madame Rosa, introduces the children to A midsummer night's dream by Felix Mendelssohn. Ella is so inspired that she stays behind after class is over for just one more fairy dance --and finds herself transported into the story"--Dust jacket flap.

Book Synopsis

The 5th book in the delightful Ella Bella Ballerina series will transport you to the magical world of fairies and royalty in this enchanting re-imagination of A Midsummer's Night's Dream.

In this story, Ella's kindly ballet teacher, Madame Rosa, has given the children costumes to wear as her magical music box pours out a shimmering tune. "This is A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn," she says, as she tells the children about the Shakespearean story that inspired Mendelssohn's ballet. When Madame Rosa is through, she asks all of her little ballerinas to "dance like fairies!"

When everyone else goes off to change, Ella stays behind for just one more fairy dance...and finds herself transported into the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream. There, she meets Puck, the mischievous fairy, and Oberon, King of Fairyland. Oberon asks Puck to help him win back the heart of Titania, his fairy queen. Puck, in turn, enlists Ella to help him in his midsummer mischief.

This charming story is beautifully illuminated by James Mayhew's whimsical, lovely, and colorful illustrations. A brief passage at the back of the book tells the story of William Shakespeare's beloved comedy. It also includes some interesting facts about Felix Mendelssohn and his sparkling, scurrying, enchanting music.

Review Quotes

The illustrations by James Mayhew are delicate, colorful and perfectly accompany the text he wrote. He provided many beautiful details which your child will enjoy as you read the story. If you have a young ballerina in your family, I encourage you to view all the Ella Bella stories written by James Mayhew.
--Dad of Divas, dadofdivas-reviews.blogspot.com

This whimsical tale is perfect for ages 4-8. It is bigger than a normal sized book, which I actually really like. It is hardback and extremely nice quality and all the illustrations work together so well with the story. A great introduction to the wonderful world of Shakespeare and overall a super cute book!
--Outnumbered 3-1, outnumbered3-1.com

"There's no denying the appeal of this series for young dance lovers..." -Booklist