From the Stage to the Page: Nancy Paris Brings Ballet and Friendship to Young Readers

Nancy Paris spent decades immersed in the world of professional dance before turning her attention to children's literature. Her debut chapter book, It's Me, Lilly McKee!, draws directly from that experience — translating the discipline, joy, and emotional complexity of the dance studio into a story accessible to young readers.

According to her author biography, Paris began studying dance at four and later trained at American Ballet Theatre, the Martha Graham School, and the Juilliard School. Her career took her into performing and teaching in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, and Japan.

The book's central character, eight-year-old Lilly McKee, is discovering ballet for the first time. The story follows her as she navigates the challenges of a new activity, forms friendships, and begins to understand the feelings and perspectives of those around her.

Paris describes the book as being about empathy as much as dance — about learning to see the world through someone else's eyes, a skill that the ballet studio, with its mix of personalities and pressures, turns out to be a surprisingly good place to develop.

Paris has said that her years of teaching children informed the emotional tone of the book. She wanted to write something that felt honest about the social dynamics children experience — the moments of exclusion, misunderstanding, and eventual connection — without being heavy-handed.

It's Me, Lilly McKee! is illustrated by Penny Weber, whose artwork brings the characters and the studio setting to life throughout the book.

It's Me, Lilly McKee! is Paris's debut as a children's book author. The book is aimed at early chapter book readers and is designed to be accessible to children who are just beginning to read independently as well as those who enjoy being read to.

Nancy Paris is a former professional dancer and longtime children's dance educator. It's Me, Lilly McKee! is her first book. More information is available through her author website.