Angelina Ballerina comes to stay with her Aunt Violet and cousin Jeanie in the Big Cheese - a murine version of New York City - in this entertaining seventeenth entry in the picture-book series chronicling her many dancing adventures. In addition to touring the city, Angelina is to perform in the Big Cheese Dance Show. But then Jeanie teases her, claiming that tap dance is better than ballet, and she becomes discouraged. Will she find her confidence again, and will she and Jeanie learn that there are many wonderful forms of dance, each as beautiful as the next...?

With its ballet vs. tap-dance theme, Angelina's Big City Ballet reminded me a bit of Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger's Tallulah and the Tap Shoes, in which two girls at dance camp together - a ballet-lover and a tap-dance-lover - must learn to appreciate new artistic forms and dance disciplines. I appreciated that aspect of the story, and the heartwarming resolution of the main plot dilemma here, but my favorite thing about this book was the way in which it offered a charming, mousy version of New York City, with shops like Parmesan Park Avenue and sites like Empire Cheddar Building. Helen Craig's artwork, as in other Angelina Ballerina books, was colorful and charming, matching the tone of the book perfectly. Recommended to all young ballet (and tap!) lovers, and to anyone who has read and enjoyed other stories about this dancing mouse. ( )

For the first time ever, Angelina is visiting the most famous city in Mouseland called the Big Cheese! She can’t wait to explore the city and perform her fairy ballet. But her cousin Jeanie tells Angelina that tap dancing is much better than ballet. this story talks about how these two girls can overcome their differences and learn to work together in time for the big show!