The Jewel Box Ballerinas: A Riverside Review
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Posted on March 17, 2008

In this beautifully done fairy tale about greed and friendship, Riverside Reads finds that there is something for ALMOST everybody.

The Jewel Box Ballerinas

Written by Monique de Varennes
Illustrated by Ana Juan
Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
ISBN: 978-0-375-83605-3 (0-375-83605-5)
$21.99

Ryan: This book is about a lady that has two of everything but no friends. I think this book is good for grade three to five to read on their own, but it is also good for grade K to 2 so their teachers can read it to them. 

I think a lot of girls would like it more than boys. There’s really nice art in the book.  We had a guy in to teach us art and I am getting good but I wish I could do art like ballerina’s artist Ana Juan.

Haley: This story is a fairy tale written by Monique de Varennes and Ana Juan. 

I didn’t like the book because the main character named Bibi had two of everything except a friend.  But, then I liked it when she got two friends.  I think this book would be good for Kindergarten girls to read because it has some girl stuff in it.  There is one page that the boys would like because it has a boy on it.

In the end Bibi finally has two two friends!

Amanda: The Jewel Box Ballerinas is a very mysterious book at first. But, when it gets to the end it wasn’t so mysterious. I think that this book is for boys and girls because it’s not like Barbie and stuff like monster trucks. 

The art by Ana Juan is pretty cool just the way that she draws the ballerinas and the two nieces.  I thought that was so cool. And I like the two little puppies that are in it, too, because they’re so cute.

I think that grade 4 and up could read it and understand it. People in grade 3 could read it and maybe understand it or maybe not. But from my judgment the author gets a very good mark.

Emma: I liked the book but I also didn’t like the book. I liked the book because if you don’t read it like a fairy tale, Bibi sounds like a crazy old lady; but if you read it like a fairytale, it sounds like it’s magical.

Bibi goes to the store and buys a gold box with two twin ballerinas. Bibi goes to Africa and loses the dolls! She finds them and something happens. Something magical…

Once I had a jewelry box but I ripped out the ballerina and it broke.  

What I don’t like about the book is that on some pages it is very, very dark.  I loved the art. In fact it was my favorite part of the book. The art was done by Ana Juan.

Taylor; Have you ever had a jewel box broken?  When I was 4 I yanked out the ballerinas from my jewel box.  Bibi, from the book The Jewel Box Ballerinas did what I did, but she carried them around on journeys, having adventures and exploring.

I like the book. I like it because if you don’t read it like a fairy tale, Bibi sounds like a crazy old lady. The jewel box ballerinas is written by Monique De Varennes and Illustrated by Ana Juan.

This book is for grade 3-5 because there are hard words in it, but they could read it on their own. 

Breanna:The Jewel Box Ballerina is a new book by Moniquede de Varennes and Ana Juan. I like Juan’s art because some parts have dark parts and some are light. The art is a little bit scary and then it isn’t. I like the words de Varennes chose, too.

Bibi doesn’t have a friend but then she gets a jewel box. Inside it there are 2 ballerinas. Bibi takes them everywhere and she wants them to smile. But then one day Bibi loses them and she tries to find them. When she says she only wants them and not her stuff, they come back.

I recommend this book for grades 4 or smaller grades. It has some hard words in it and it is a little long.

Kyle: In this story there is a girl named Bibi. She had no friends until she went to a store and saw a pure gold box studded with precious stones. She wanted two of them but the store keeper said there is only in the whole world.

“But I only buy things in two,” said Bibi

“Then you will like this,” said the store keeper.

The store keeper opened the box and there were twin ballerinas in the beautiful box.  So she bought the jewelry box.  She tried to make the ballerinas smile because she wants to have them as real friends.  She tried everything.  She tried to give them presents, but it did not work.  She even stood on her hands.  She took them on a safari and they still never smiled.  At the end of the book she makes them smile by loving them more than her stuff.

I like the book because it is kind of like a fairy tale.  I think this book is for a 3 to 11 year old, because there are funny pictures and it is a nice book.