Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina    by Pamela Duncan Edwards & Henry Cole Order:  USA  Can Hyperion, 1998 (1998) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch Whenever I practice whirling around the pond en pointe, all my friends cry, 'Mimi! Stop doing that! You're driving us crazy!' Imagine that! How am I going to become a better dancer if I don't practice? You see, I love ballet and would love to be a ballerina, but I don't think too many swans ever make it onto the stage. One day I saw that the Paris Opera House was going to host a production of Swan Lake. I knew that was a production I had to see, but guess what? No one would let me into the Opera House. Every time I managed to sneak in, someone would usher me right back out with the same admonition, 'NO BIRDS ALLOWED IN THE OPERA HOUSE!' Well, finally I made it in the back door with one of the performers who didn't realize I was behind her. There I was backstage when the curtain went up and guess what? I decided since I had practiced so hard, I might as well slip out on stage. I demi-plied, danced en pointe, and chassed like everyone else, but I think my honking gave me away. The crowd went wild! I'll let you read my story to see what happened when everyone realized a swan had just performed in Swan Lake. I think you'll be surprised at how things worked out. The really cool pictures in this story book show me practicing, trying to get into the Opera House, and finally performing on the stage. Although this is a pretty funny story, I hope you'll also get my message. If you enjoy doing something, keep at it. Also, never let someone convince you that you can't do something. Think what would have happened if I had given up trying to get inside the Opera House! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews