Dress Like a Girl

Toht pokes fun at fashion "rules" as a diverse group of friends dress for a variety of special occasions. When "bright, vivid hues" are in order, the girls don firefighter and police uniforms, and when a day at the beach (or bath time) calls for "sleek swimwear," they wear snorkel gear. On "game day," they don uniforms to play sports (among them hockey, soccer, basketball, and football), and in a tool shop, they wear hard hats and take measurements. Tu-Dean captures the joy of dressing up, friendship, and discovery in her mixed-media art. Fashion is limitless and fun, Toht suggests--but it's not so much the clothes that matter as the individual underneath. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

PreS-K--What does it mean to "dress like a girl"? This timely picture book features six energetic young girls who dream past stereotypical gender norms and societal expectation. In rhyming verse, the narrative explains that while "[m]any will tell you in this big wide world /that there are strict rules that must be addressed," girls can demonstrate their own unique freedom in thinking outside the predictable dress-up box. The girls in this story are attending a sleepover and instead of donning prescribed tiaras, fairy wings, or tutus, their limitless imaginative dress-up play includes the warm reds and striking blues of a firefighter or police officer outfit, the confident white of a lab coat or space suit, or the sleek black of a scuba suit or a judge's robes. Tu-Dean's welcoming watercolor pencil-and-ink illustrations beautifully capture this friendly, ambitious girl group alongside the text, which ultimately urges girls to "Express your true self, for there's only one you/Can't find what you like? Then design something new!" VERDICT Empowering and encouraging, this title delivers an important message for today's girls: dream big and be yourself. Recommended for picture book shelves.--Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ