Angelina Ballerina is a charming character originally created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig. The subject of several books and an animated PBS series, Angelina is a "mouseling" who loves ballet more than anything.

The "Rose Fairy Princess" DVD contains four animated episodes. In the title episode, Angelina is cast in the leading role in a ballet, but her joy is short-lived when she discovers she will be flying above the stage on a single wire. In "Angelina at the Fair," the heroine discovers she is not such a hero after all after she grudgingly agrees to take her cousin Henry to the fair and doesn't keep an eye on him (don't worry, she redeems herself in the end). In "Ballet Tickets," Angelina and her best friend Alice are almost thwarted in their attempt to see a ballet. And in "Midnight Muddle," Angelina has to come forward when another mouseling is blamed for something she did.

The episodes are short and sweet (the total DVD playing time is 48 minutes). They subtly encourage young viewers to be brave, responsible, and honest. Good mouselings get rewarded for their good behavior, and bad mouselings (particularly Angelina's twin arch enemies) get what they deserve. The stories and characters are obviously aimed toward girls, but two of the episodes feature male characters as well. My daughter received this DVD when she was 3 years old, and now, at almost 5, she still loves it. Her older cousins (up to second grade) love it as well. It is especially well-suited for any little girl who loves dancing.

The only downside to this DVD is the fact that it is basically a VHS-to-disc dump. There is no menu. To skip the over four minutes of commercials at the beginning, or view a specific episode, you must fast-forward. Other than that, the quality is excellent, and my daughter loves the fact that it comes in a pink DVD case. A definite upside to this DVD is that my daughter is now interested in the Angelina Ballerina books. This video gets a big thumbs up from my daughter and me.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8