I was going to give this book only four stars, but I think the message for young girls (and everyone else) is very well done. Whenever you start something new - ice skating, piano, swimming, reading - you are going to do it badly and make embarrassing mistakes. But, if you practice and persevere, the outcome, like in Emily's case, can be very rewarding, as the last major pop-up makes clear. It's a very simple theme but I thought the story unfolded in such a gentle way that parents would have an easy time talking about practicing, listening to a teacher and gaining self confidence.