Get our latest book recommendations, author news, competitions, offers, and other information right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
A boy shares his love of ballet with his cat in this adorable picture book that leaps and glides through ballet terms, famous dancers, and the special bond between a young dancer and his pet.
Some cats pounce, snooze, or climb up the curtains. But one boy has a pet cat that does ballet, jumping after flies in perfect grands jetés and gliding across floors with smooth glissades. Perhaps they can teach you and your cat to do ballet too! This joyful and hilariously illustrated story is a charming pas de deux for felines and their friends.
Some cats pounce, snooze, or climb up the curtains. But one boy has a pet cat that does ballet, jumping after flies in perfect grands jetés and gliding across floors with smooth glissades. Perhaps they can teach you and your cat to do ballet too! This joyful and hilariously illustrated story is a charming pas de deux for felines and their friends.
About The Author
Photograph by Ted Hayes
Robert Heidbreder was born in Quincy, Illinois, and later moved to Vancouver, BC, where he became an award-winning primary school teacher. Living in Vancouver, he discovered his love of ballet. He attends as many performances as he and his wife can. Their two cats sadly have to stay at home. My Cat Does Ballet is his twenty-first picture book. Visit him at RobertHeidbreder.com.
About The Illustrator
Matt Schu
Matt Schu is the illustrator of Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation by C.E. Winters and My Cat Does Ballet by Robert Heidbreder. Due to growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he draws a lot of trees, houses, and cloudy skies. He lives with his cat in Portland, Oregon, and she can do an impressive tour en l’air. Visit him at Matt-Schu.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (November 23, 2023)
- Length: 32 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665917032
- Ages: 4 - 8
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
"Using theatrical lighting in a limited palette of blues, oranges, and blacks, and with details etched with a strong graphic line, Schu sets the stage for a dramatic nighttime household performance. Prolific poet-author Heidbreder’s fanciful text is enlivened with the classic French terms for ballet moves. . . This friendly feline fantasy will be a fun and informative romp for ballet buffs and cat fanciers alike."
– Booklist
"Heidbreder’s simple text intersperses the names of various ballet moves, artfully demonstrated by the puss in question in rose-colored spotlights. Relying on a limited palette, Schu’s delightfully whimsical illustrations are cartoonish but realistic, a perfect match for the story. . . A fine, feline-centric introduction to the dance."
– Kirkus Reviews
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): My Cat Does Ballet Hardcover 9781665917032
- Author Photo (jpg): Robert Heidbreder Photograph by Ted Hayes(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
