"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, July 13, 2018

Friday Quotes (and a review) for The Prince and the Dressmaker

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. Share the opening quote from the book.
The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice.  Find a quote from page 56.

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest, or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. This is the book I'm reading right now---
Title: The Prince and the Dressmaker a graphic novel by Jen Wang

 Book Beginnings:
Prince Sebastian is turning 16 and there will be a royal ball in his favor.
Friday 56:
The Prince likes to wear women's clothing. He asks the dress maker to make him something spectacle to wear to the Marmalade Contest. while there he decides to enter the contest. On this page the dressmaker is looking at all the wonderful gowns entered in the contest. When the prince appears he is disguised as Lady Crystallia (not shown here.)
Summary: Prince Sebastian is miserable. Why? Because he has a secret---he likes to dress in women's clothing. When he is clad in beautiful gowns, he feels like a different person. But he must keep this a secret from everyone, especially his father, the King. When he meets a dressmaker who doesn't judge him for his choices, they embark on creating and wearing her creations out in public as Lady Cystallia. As you can imagine, this doesn't last long before the Prince is found out. But before he is, the gowns Lady Crystallia wears in public become the fashion craze of the day. The dressmaker is frustrated that she can't be recognized for her creations without giving the prince's secret identity away.

Review: This is darling, darling tale about being true to yourself and about friendship and loyalty. The illustrations are so colorful and fun. Everything about this book is charming. It is being marketed to young adults, but I think it would be appropriate for middle grade students as well as adults, anyone who cheers for people who want to live their authentic lives. If you have a child who is a budding artist, I recommend this book as an inspiration. Jen Wang talks about her craft at the end of the book---the tools she uses, how she creates her storyboard, and time-saving techniques she uses. Everything about this book is wonderful. I highly recommend it.

Comment: I know a lot of adults don't read graphic novels, but I encourage you to give them a try. The story is told is such a colorful way, often the diagrams themselves tell the story without using any words. If you feel daunted by reading graphic novels but want to give one a try, this would be a wonderful book to choose for a starting point. It is a charming story with wonderful illustrations.

Wang, Jen. The Prince and the Dressmaker. First Second, 2018.


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16 comments:

  1. Ashley SappJuly 13, 2018 at 10:46 AM

    Oh this sounds so good. I've been reading more graphic novels lately and so I'll definitely be adding this one to my wishlist. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  2. MargaretJuly 13, 2018 at 10:47 AM

    It does sound good, as does the message.

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    Replies
    1. Anne@HeadFullofBooksJuly 13, 2018 at 12:48 PM

      The message is a good one that could generate a touchy subject very thoughtfully with children.

      Delete
  3. Catherine @ Book Club LibrarianJuly 13, 2018 at 11:04 AM

    I like the sound of this one...thanks for sharing it.

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  4. Laurel-Rain SnowJuly 13, 2018 at 12:05 PM

    Sounds cute! I haven't read any graphic novels. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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  5. YvonneJuly 13, 2018 at 12:33 PM

    This looks really cute. What a great choice.

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  6. Nicki J. Markus / Asta IdoneaJuly 13, 2018 at 4:24 PM

    Sounds like a sweet little story.

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  7. Girl Who ReadsJuly 13, 2018 at 4:25 PM

    I'm one of those that don't read graphic novels. I didn't read them much as a kid either. See what we are featuring at Girl Who Reads

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  8. Yvonne @ Fiction Books ReviewsJuly 13, 2018 at 9:41 PM

    I'm another who doesn't read graphic novels. I'm afraid.

    However, I am responsible for the book section in the charity shop where I work, so I often take a sneak peek when graphic books cross my desk. They are often worth quite a lot of money, so I generally research them individually before pricing. They are very popular amongst the younger customers, hence they don't stay on the shelves for too long. Best of all, I can admire and appreciate the amazing artwork many of them contain, even though I hold my hands up to never actually reading the narrative comment!

    Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend :)

    Yvonne
    xx

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  9. Helen's Book BlogJuly 14, 2018 at 9:39 AM

    What a wonderful book! I love reading graphic novels and one that has such a great message is sure to do well. I like it when an author gives background information at the end in an author's note as well.

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  10. BoyishbookwormJuly 14, 2018 at 12:14 PM

    Ohh I've seen this book around but I didn't realize this was a graphic novel. How cool!! I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Anne.

    Ronnie @ Paradise Found

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  11. fredamansJuly 14, 2018 at 12:39 PM

    So cute! Happy weekend!

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  12. Lauren StoolfireJuly 14, 2018 at 2:05 PM

    Yes, The Prince and the Dressmaker was absolutely wonderful! :)

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  13. Alicia @ A Kernel of NonsenseJuly 14, 2018 at 5:16 PM

    I've heard really good things about this one. Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete

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