This Is It

This is It is a poetic story of a young ballerina and how she explores herself through dance. The author-illustrator, Daria Peoples-Riley, also tells the child to be strong, that when you are you there is nothing you cannot do. The illustrations match the text with their soft colors, yet at the same time, they pop off the page. They are as bold as how the narrator wants the child to be.

The publisher description says that this is a book about movement, individuality and self-expression. This is the authors debut picture book and is based on the experience of visiting the city. I read that after reading the actual book and for certain picked up on the “parental tone” of the text. Therefore, this makes me see this as a book as a baby gift, or christening gift or for a first birthday gift. While the older reader (four to five years old) might enjoy it, I would not go much older in the read-aloud-category. An older child who is starting to read or can read comfortably on their own (and enjoys dancing) would also get something out of it.

This is not a book about dancing as that is just the messenger to get the point across of being true to yourself. Dance and the Shadow Child that is the one that is actually dancing freely along, the one trying to tell the human child to find themselves, create an often-told story in a modern setting of bravery.