John Robert Allman immersed himself in the intricacies of ballet for months before setting out to write his latest picture book. But if the author has his way, readers will be able to do more than just distinguish between a pirouette and a plié by the time they’ve finished the story.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

Allman, who is based in New York, said his lifelong love of the stage inspired him to write “Boys Dance!” The book, released last month, features illustrations by Luciano Lozano and is geared toward young, aspiring male dancers who are passionate about ballet, jazz and other classical styles ― but have yet to see themselves represented in children’s literature.

A Hairy, Scary Adventure on Spook Hill by Children’s Writer Shelia Lirette

“I wanted to make sure that boys would be able to see dance as something they can — and should — get into if they want to,” Allman told HuffPost. “So little in media when I was a kid made that case, showed you a role model, or made it seem OK to be excited about dance the way I was. But it’s something guys have always loved and excelled in, so they shouldn’t be at all hesitant to try it.”

Read more about it here by Huffpost: