That dancing mouse, Angelina Ballerina, returns in this fifth picture-book devoted to her adventures. Thrilled when she is offered the part of a flying fairy in an adult ballet production, Angelina has mixed feelings when her younger cousin Henry is also offered a part, and begins to become quite jealous, when she sees what a fuss the adult performers make over the small boy. But when Henry freezes up on the night of the actual performance, Angelina takes pity on him and proves that she is a kind cousin after all...

Like its predecessors, Angelina on Stage features a sweet story from author Katharine Holabird and adorable artwork from illustrator Helen Craig. Angelina herself is an engaging young heroine, one with a good heart but enough flaws to be believable. Jealousy is a common enough feeling in childhood (as well as adulthood, alas), and the story explores that reality without making anyone the "bad guy" (or girl). Fans of the Angelina Ballerina books will enjoy this entry in the series, as will young children who love ballet, or who just enjoy stories about mice and other small creatures. ( )

Angelina on Stage by Katharine Holabird is the fifth book in the Angelina Ballerina series. It's the third book I've read with my daughter. The book is similar to the animated episode, "The Show Must Go On" in which Angelina has to contend with taking a secondary roll because she can't carry a tune.

In the book Angelina is picked to play a small roll as a fairy but cousin Henry ends up steeling the show as he's cast to play a troll. Henry, as he is in the cartoons, has no sense of direction, on or off stage. That which endears him to the cast may also ruin the show.

The most interesting aspect of Angelina on Stage is the fact that she's dancing with an adult troupe. Usually the focus is on Angelina and her friends dancing or Miss Lily reminiscing of her days as a dancer. It's nice and educational to see how a professional performance is put together. ( )

After attending ballet classes with her cousin Henry, Angelina got asked to preform with the grown-ups. The competition between Angelina and Henry is evident due to Angelina's jealousy when Henry gets asked to say an important line on stage. But, when Henry's nerves kick in at the final performance and Angelina helps out, the two were both very pleased to have performed together. ( )

This is a lovely story about Angelina the ballerina and her small cousin, Henry. Henry loves going to ballet classes with Angelina, and is cast with Angelina in a ballet show for grown-ups. Although Henry messes up time after time and even gets lost right before he must be on stage, Angelina and Henry both do fantastic jobs in the show, and Angelina is offered a speaking part in the future performances. This story shows how important it is to take chances, for even though Angelina and Henry were both very nervous for they show, they ended up surprising everyone with their talent. ( )

I have never read an Angelina book before but I can see why they are so popular. The characters are easy to relate to, and the pictures are very detailed. In this story Angelina becomes jealous of her cousin when he gets a speaking part in a grown-up ballet. But no matter how annoyed she might be, she's not above helping him out when he needs her. ( )