Books with author Gina Mayer

Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter is dealing with his little sister learning to use the potty in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he’s trying to help her make it to the bathroom, encouraging her when she does well, or getting frustrated when she doesn’t, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children about potty training and how to be a good older sibling!

Welcome to my Wish Upon a Ballet™ book series for preschool ballet! Do you know a little one who loves to dance? My books are meant to introduce popular ballet stories and inspire young dancers to combine those stories with dance!Whether you have a dancer at home or are a teacher with a class full of excited students. Enjoy these books to help jump start creativity and imagination! Let your little one’s ballet journey begin!Carnival of the Animals is a musical suite which was written by Camille Saint Saëns in 1886. Saint Saëns wrote the suite for amusement and never wanted it performed in public or published during his lifetime. As a serious composer he thought this piece might interfere with his reputation. To this day Carnival of the Animals is one of Saint Saëns best-known works. In 2003 Carnival of the Animals was produced by the The New York City Ballet with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and narration by John Lithgow. The production included almost 50 dancers.Carnival of the Animals, the ballet has also been produced all over the globe with many other professional ballet companies and ballet schools each with their own creative exploration using this entertaining suite.

The Nutcracker is one of the most popular ballets of all time and the most beloved Christmas ballet in America. It is a tradition for many ballet schools and professional companies to produce The Nutcracker every December.The libretto for the ballet was based on E.T.A Hoffman’s version of the story with music composed by Peter Tchaikovsky. The first staging was in 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. Originally it was commissioned to be choreographed by Marius Petipa. However Petipa became ill during the project and the choreography was completed by his assistant, Lev Ivanov. This first production received some criticism and was considered unsuccessful. It wasn’t until George Balanchine revived it however in 1954 that it became the popular ballet we know today. His production for the New York City Ballet is what started the Christmas tradition that continues to this day. Children love this story especially if they love ballet! I remember the first time I saw a production of The Nutcracker when I was five years old. The memory of the beautiful dancing is still so clear in my mind. Enjoy this story with your little one and hopefully you will start your own tradition dancing in the Lands of Sweets! There are so many fun characters to explore and act out through dance!

Swan Lake is one of my favorite ballets which is why I love to include it in my preschool ballet curriculum. However there are not many preschool friendly books available of this story. An interesting fact is no one is even sure of the story's true origin. This is why I decided to write my own version and include the elements that I love to use in my classes.Swan Lake was Peter Tchaikovsky's first ballet score. Up until this point ballet scores were merely there to service the dancing. However this score by Tchaikovsky changed all that. Even though it was his first ballet. It was not only danceable but it was inspirational to listen to.The score was first produced in 1877 and choreographed by Julius Reisinger for Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet. This first attempt was not received well. Some believe that it was just ahead of its time because it had a more elaborate score. It wasn't until 1895 when Marius Petipa staged a production, with assistance from Lev Ivanov, for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg that it achieved its fame. This production was a tribute to Tchaikovsky who had just past away the year before. Pierina Legnani, who became famous for being the first dancer to perform 32 fouettés in Cinderella in 1893, again performed her famous 32 turns in the 1895 production of Swan Lake. These 32 fouettés are still choreographed in many productions of Swan Lake today! Let’s all dance and spin around together!