4.5 Stars

Little Lupita loves to dance and is learning ballet. However, she doesn’t feel the same when wearing the pink ballet slippers that don’t match her lovely brown skin. Lupita realizes there aren’t many options. Nevertheless, she is determined to find a way and get her chance under the spotlight. 

This is an #ownvoices book with a Latino main character. Like Lupita, the author is a dancer and had similar experiences. I know only a wee bit about ballet, so I didn’t know the costumes were not inclusive and didn’t suit diverse skin tones. 

The story is the right length for kiddos and shows how Lupita comes up with ideas to match the ballet slippers with her skin tone. This little girl is resourceful, hopeful, and positive. She does her research, makes plans, comes up with an alternative until her goal is reached, and then buys the shoes from a store that sells different-toned ballet slippers. I love how it ends, almost like a ripple effect. 

There is more information about non-White ballet dancers and their experiences. Surprisingly, it took so many decades for companies to come out with ballet slippers in more shades. Shows how the industry has been rigid and so-not-supportive of talented ballet dancers from diverse backgrounds. 

Illustrations are the key to any children’s book. The artwork gets a top score for realistic paintings of the characters. The kids come in different shapes, sizes, and skin tones. The elders are in proper proportions. I especially love the shape of Lupita’s eyes (nice little almonds). The earthy tones are a perfect match for the book’s theme and create a sense of warmth. 

To summarize, Lupita's Brown Ballet Slippers takes on an important topic and gives it a positive and hopeful ending. 

Thank you, Edelweiss+ and Beaming Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.