Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, Chodos-Irvine Margaret

From the Publisher

Ella Sarah may be little, but she has a BIG sense of style—and it isn't at all like that of her mother, father, and older sister. Yet they all want her to dress just like them! Ella Sarah will have none of it—and when her flamboyantly dressed friends arrive, it's clear that Ella Sarah's favorite outfit is just right for her.

Margaret Chodos-Irvine's spirited story will gently nudge young children toward independence—providing plenty of exuberant colors and patterns to identify along the way.

Publishers Weekly

A junior Diana Vreeland in blue sheep jammies, Ella Sarah coolly surveys her open armoire and announces that she will wear "my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat." Family members try to dissuade her from an outfit that they deem too "dressy" or "fancy" or "silly" (the last comes from an older sister trying to pawn off some hand-me-downs). But Ella Sarah resists their admonitions and proves her sartorial instincts are "just right" when the occasion is a dress-up tea party with her friends. A gifted printmaker, Chodos-Irvine (Apple Pie Fourth of July) uses bright but well-modulated colors, sharply defined shapes and plenty of white space to give the pictures a strong graphic punch and convey a range of emotions. When Ella Sarah's ambitions collide with her mother's disapproval (however mild), Chodos-Irvine shows the confident girl's posture curving into a dejected "S"; when Ella Sarah reaches the breaking point, the illustrator depicts her fury by showing only Ella Sarah's hand on the left, with the toy cat she has thrown, flying across the spread. By conveying her heroine's perspective so convincingly, Chodos-Irvine makes the book's ending a triumph-and one that should strike a chord with dress-up fans everywhere. Ages 2-5. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Parenting Magazine

"This little girl's declaration of independence may encourage originality in your child."

Children's Literature

Coordinating clothes are supposed to be good and something one learns from family and fashion magazines. Ella Sara does not seem to be the least bit influenced by the suggestions of her family member and does not seem to have the slightest interest in haught couture. She has decided that on this day she will wear her pink polka-dot pants, a dress with orange-and-green flowers, purple-and-blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and a red hat. Wow, that is a combination to knock your socks off! Ella Sarah gets herself dressed and just as she is done, the doorbell rings and in come a bunch of her friends. Guess what, they have also decided to dress just they way they please and that seems to be just fine. All of these kids are expressing themselves and showing a bit of independence, after all they are growing up and showing their individualism. A book that received a Caldecott Honor and a host of other awards when initially published, it is now available in an oversized board book form. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

School Library Journal

PreS-K-In typical toddler fashion, Ella Sarah has her own ideas about what she should wear and persists in her choices despite her family's suggestions. "Her father said, `That outfit is too fancy. Why don't you wear your yellow T-shirt with white shorts, and your tennis shoes?'" Ella Sarah replies with what becomes her refrain. "I want to wear my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat!" At the end, her equally "well-dressed" friends arrive for a tea party. The larger-than-life family members tower over Ella Sarah, with only their torsos and legs showing. The exuberant illustrations, "created using a variety of printmaking techniques," dance and tumble across the pages, adding emotion to her refrain. The vibrant yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples work together surprisingly well-Ella Sarah doesn't look as shocking as one would imagine. This should be a hit at storytime or for one-on-one sharing.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A very determined young lady knows precisely what she wants to wear. Ella Sarah is in her jammies (with a pattern of white sheep on bright blue) and announcing that she wants to wear "my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat." Mom, Dad, and big sister have other ideas for her attire, but Ella Sarah repeats her desired outfit emphatically at each suggestion. When readers see her friends gathered for a tea party, it’s clear that they all knew just what they wanted to wear--a riot of mismatched color and pattern. Chodos-Irvine uses printmaking for these fabulously patterned images, where wallpaper, rugs, and toys create wonderful rhythms. Ella Sarah’s body language, which goes from determined to dejected to defiant to dogmatic, contrasts with the posturing of her parents and sibling, seen from Ella Sarah’s point of view, heads cut off by the picture plane. A wonderfully realized artistic conceit with a storyline guaranteed to tickle the fancy of baby fashionistas and their families. (Picture book. 3-6)

Product Details