THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER

Today I'm going to spotlight THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER by Jen Wang. A 2018 Cybils finalist.




Here's my YA Books Central Books review:

The Prince and the Dressmaker

What worked: I really loved this story of a dressmaker and the prince who likes to wear dresses. Prince Sebastian does this in secret until he 'discovers' the shocking outfit Frances made for a client. He hires her, but tries to keep his identity secret. What happens next is the start of a relationship where an unknown dressmaker designs Prince Sebastian dresses. Little by little he gains confidence in stepping out in the designs. But not everyone is so open to his 'secret'.

Lush illustrations set in Paris are the backdrop where two very unlikely characters come together and along the way discover friendship. Only two people know Prince Sebastian's secret. Frances loves the challenge of designing the prince dresses, but fears that keeping his secret might in fact hold her back from her own dream of being a top designer. What really works in this graphic novel is how Frances doesn't judge the prince for what others at this time might feel to be unorthodox behavior. To her, she wants to make the best dresses for him that show his true self. Saying this, the novel does show that not everyone approves. Prince Sebastian explores his own feelings and whether he should be true to himself or be the perfect prince his father and country expect of him. The working relationship between Frances and Prince Sebastian grows along the way.

Coming of age story set behind rich, colorful dresses in Paris with an adorable relationship that blossoms between a dressmaker and prince. The theme of finding out who you are and being happy is one that is sure to resonate with readers.

Originally posted over at YABC.
 Link: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/21646-the-prince-and-the-dressmaker


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

YA Scavenger Hunt: Meet Amalie Howard

Image
Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours! Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team and a gold team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books! If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list o
Read more

Week #2 Revisions

Image
"I am hard at work on the second draft...Second draft is really a misnomer as there are a gazillion revisions, large and small, that go into the writing of a book." -Libba Bray Hi, everyone!  How did you do with your goals for last week?  I admit, I wasn't as good as I should have been.   But remember: Now that school and scoring tests is over, I can concentrate more on my writing. I noticed a number of you are working on revisions so I thought I'd make that our theme for this week. Is this you? Do you dread revising? Or do you have revision angst? I'm kind of in the middle.  I've been known to spend forever just on one paragraph to get it right. I love this other quote: "I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living sh*t out of it." -Don Roff In the book THE WRITER'S BOOK OF WISDOM 101 RULES FOR MASTERING
Read more

Week #1 Motivation

Image
“You can sit there, tense and worried, freezing the creative energies, or you can start writing something . It doesn't matter what. In five or ten minutes, the imagination will heat, the tightness will fade, and a certain spirit and rhythm will take over.” – Leonard Bernstein Welcome to: I admit it.  This last month I started off with the right intentions but my one part-time job held me back from doing all I wanted to do. I know, I know. For today I'll be using something out of THE POCKET MUSE by Monica Wood for an idea on how to help kick that muse into working. ...Set an egg timer for forty-five minutes, and don't get out of the chair until the timer dings.  Even if you sit starting at the page the entire time, you're ingraining a habit... What are some ways the rest of you help get the motivation feeling back? Remember I'm cheering for you! Also share what your weekly goals are this week.  Don't be shy! My goal is to finis
Read more