Overview
A story about sewing, economizing, recycling, and sharing, this book follows a special party dress that a grandmother makes for her granddaughter, who narrates the story. Each year she alters the dress to accommodate the year’s growth, until the narrator decides she can’t keep her dress forever—and so passes it on to her little cousin.
Synopsis
A story about sewing, economising, recycling, and sharing, this book follows a special party dress that a grandmother makes for her granddaughter, who narrates the story. Each year she alters the dress to accommodate the year's growth, until the narrator decides she can't keep her dress forever and so passes it on to her young cousin.Editorials
Children's Literature -
Grandmothers can have a special gift for passing on a handcraft in a way that creates a bond and a sense of heritage for their grandchildren. This book follows the dress a grandmother makes and then adjusts over a few years as the narrator grows from six to ten. The spare text makes it clear that what makes the dress a treasure is the way the young-looking grandmother has involved the child in the sewing process, from picking out the material to consulting on how the beloved older version of the dress can be lengthened. Liz Murphy's paint and paper collages cleverly incorporate scraps of sewing patterns, tape measures, and fabric scraps to carry out the sewing motif. As someone who has found sewing with and for grandchildren a rich experience all around, I strongly recommend this book. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-BerrySchool Library Journal
K-Gr 4
A girl tells how her grandmother makes her a "special" dress every year. The colorful and cleverly created multimedia illustrations vividly show what's involved: the paper patterns, bolts of fabric, step-by-step process of cutting out material, basting, and using a sewing machine. A delighted youngster dances as her grandmother comments, "Pretty as a princess!" and her mom adds, "A perfect fit!" The child looks over her shoulder into a mirror and smiles as she says, "Thank you, Grandma!" The story goes on to promote recycling: the following year, Grandma says to the now-seven-year-old, "We all need to do our part.... We should use new material only if we have to. You're no wider, just taller, so let's start with what we have and add to it." They add pretty leggings, a new pair of shoes, and a matching belt to extend the use of the garment. And the following year, a spread reveals how the old dress is made new once again, and the gleeful girl informs her friends, "This is my forever dress. I've worn it forever...well, almost forever. Since I was six." Young girls will enjoy this tale about a loving relationship between grandparent and child.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA