Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots by Rebecca Janni- ADVISABLE

Janni, Rebecca.  Avril, Lynne.  Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots, 32 pages.  Dutton Juvenile, 2011.  $16.99.  Inside cover:  “Nellie Sue has brand-new dancing boots, but she can’t go dancing all alone.  Mama suggests playing with new neighbors, but those glitter girls are too busy pirouetting in their ballet shoes to hoedown with Nellie Sue.  So what’s a cowgirl to do?  Throw a big bash and invite all the neighbors- including the glitter girls.  But will a slip, trip, and fall threaten to ruin her party or will the ever resourceful Nellie Sue save the day (and make a friend as well)?”  This is a great book about stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and making the most of a bad situation.  It could be used in a unit on friendship, personalities, or a western/cowboy themed unit.  We loved the tenacity of Nellie and worried with and about her throughout the whole book, then breathed a sigh of relief in the end.  The illustrations are adorable and inviting.  EL (K-3).  ADVISABLE.  Reviewer: SL.