Time for Ballet - Hardcover

Adèle Geras married in 1967 and moved to Manchester, where she still lives with her husband and two daughters. She taught French at a girls' grammar school and started writing in 1973.

Her first book Tea at Mrs. Manderby's was published by Hamish Hamilton Children's Books in 1976.

Adèle particularly enjoys writing for young adults — her books explore relationships between people and strong emotions without losing sight of the need for a strong narrative line. For younger children she often injects an element of fantasy. Ozzy, the cat who narrates the Fantora Family Files has become one of Adèle's favourite characters and she says "he is seriously thinking of writing another book soon."

Adèle also writes poetry which has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She is a voracious reader, a "fanatical" knitter and a lifelong movie-goer.

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. A real charmer for young ballet dancers, this picture book shows the day-to-day work of a beginning dancer as well as the pleasure of a successful performance. Tilly, who looks about five years old, joins her fellow dance students in dressing for class and practicing the five positions, curtsies and bows, plies and jetes, and moving like butterflies and dinosaurs. At home during the week, Tilly practices her part for an upcoming show: "a leapy cat, a curled-up-to-sleepy cat, a stretchy cat / a pounce-on-a-mousey cat." On the day of the performance, the children don their costumes, feel a little nervous, and dance their best before an appreciative audience of their families. Tilly narrates in a fresh, childlike voice as the pictures offer an appealing look at her world. Well-observed details of everyday life create a sense of realism, and the artist's affection for her subject shines through in the warm colors and appealing drawings. Carolyn Phelan
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