This is a wonderful (and beautiful) fictionalize story of Marie van Goethem - a 'rat' girl in the chorus of the ballet of the Paris Opera - when she was hired to pose for the famous painter Edgar Degas. From her poses emerged the sculpture entitled 'The Little Dancer' and the girl gained confidence and strength from her encounter with the famous (and temperamental) artist. Illustrated with oil paintings that look remarkably like those by Degas himself, this book memoralizes the wonderful and incredible work of the impressionist painter. My daughter, who loves dancing, picked this book out herself to check out of the library. It showed the hard work involved in the creative processes of both dancing and artistry and brought history to life. ( )