Part of the Fantasia Pictorial Stories from Famous Music series, in which notable works of classical Western Art Music were reinterpreted in fairy-tale form by Japanese children's authors and artists in the 1960s and 70s, K.M. Weber's Invitation to the Dance is a lovely little book. It follows the adventures of a little boy who, sneaking into the grounds of a great mansion, in order to hear some of the music played for the upcoming ball, encounters a beautiful little girl, with whom he has a magical dancing experience. Together, the two dance amidst the roses of the garden, the lilies of the pond, and down the river to the sea, before returning to the mansion, where they part...

Published in Japan in 1969, this wonderful picture-book is one I tracked down largely because of my admiration for the work of the illustrator, Chihiro Iwasaki, and on that score, I was not disappointed. The watercolor illustrations here are dreamy, with a feeling of magic and motion that is perfectly matched to the tale. I was unaware of the series to which the book belongs, but now discovering it, I think it is a wonderful idea. The story here seems to be an entirely original adaptation of the music, on Keisuke Tsutsui's part, although the presence of the roses, and the enchanted dancing of the little boy and girl might be inspired by the Michel Fokine ballet, Le Spectre de la rose, which used C.M. von Weber's famous 1819 waltz, Invitation to the Dance ("Aufforderung zum Tanz"), as orchestrated by Berlioz, for the music. I read this story while listening to a recording of that piece of music, and I would recommend fellow readers do the same. I think that this, and the other books in this series, could be used as a wonderfully educational and entertaining way to introduce young children to some of the great works of the Western Art Music canon, and I would recommend them for that purpose. I would also recommend this book, specifically, to fellow fans of Iwasaki's gorgeous painting. ( )