• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3
• Reading age: 4 to 8

Grace's name may be a bit of a misnomer, for graceful she is not. She wants to be a ballerina, but dancing is not her forte. "Give it up, Grace," the other girls tell her. Saddened, Grace turns to drawing--and when she does, she starts to feel better. Grace is good at drawing and the other girls love her artwork. Grace finds a way to be part of the ballet using her true talent--she paints the sets! But the indefatigable Grace also keeps dancing in this easy reader that encourages youngsters to celebrate their own special gifts.

Kate Parkinson has worked as a senior graphic designer and an art director. She studied graphic design at the Ontario College of Art and Design and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Guelph. She is currently working toward an MFA in illustration at the University of Hartford. This is her first book.

Kate Parkinson's profile page

"The newest addition in the 'I Like to Read' series is a great purchase for early reader collections everywhere."—School Library Journal

"Parkinson's text is both enjoyable to read aloud and basic enough for emerging readers to tackle successfully, with its simple, declarative statements and repetition of words. The digitally manipulated pen-and-ink illustrations are lively and expressive. . . . There is more than one way to shine on stage, as Grace happily attests."—Kirkus Reviews