(2) Illustrated by Diana Ejaita. James introduces young readers to the life and work of Myra Viola Wilds (1875-1935), a Black woman who became a renowned dress designer and dressmaker, and then an acclaimed poet. Wilds's life unfolds via James's loose quatrains, often using off-rhymes, that sketch her story in broad strokes -- her beginnings in rural Kentucky, her success as a dressmaker and the subsequent loss of her sight, and her creativity then taking the form of writing poetry. The language of James's poems echoes Wilds's own, with a focus on the thoughts and dreams that empowered her. Bold and color-drenched illustrations propel the story forward, through expansive images echoing the vivid collage work of Matisse, with the added texture of chalk or fabric or paint. A central figure -- a woman in profile cut from black or brown paper -- is the focus, but details of birds, flowers, and geometric swirls add dimension. An endnote provides further biographical information; an archival photograph of Wilds and her poem "Dewdrops" conclude the book.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Color by Sarah Davidson. Marcus McCalister begins eighth grade ambivalent about trying out for soccer despite pressure from those around him in this lively graphic novel. Unlike his varsity-soccer superstar brother, Marcus finds himself yearning for something more. Tough-minded Izzy Briggs, with her purple hair and punk-like fashion sensibility, wants to design costumes for the theater club's stage plays. The two end up together in gym class, where they must cooperate on an extra-credit assignment: performing a swing dance routine in a talent show. This amusing story of boy-meets-girl-in-unusual-circumstances unfolds through strategically composed panels containing details that build aspects of character and tension in a rapidly paced tale. Comical facial expressions and body language accompanied by natural-sounding dialogue advance the plot, ratcheting up the tension between an unlikely duo with dramatic flair and humor.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Drago (Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, rev. 9/20; Leila, the Perfect Witch, rev. 9/22) presents another offbeat, sympathetic supernatural character overcoming insecurities. Fashionista vampire Vlad, while confident in his sartorial selections, is embarrassed by his rosy, non-vampiric cheeks that "made him look different from everyone else--so horribly alive." After stumbling on a friend's secret (big pink hair), he's able to appreciate and embrace what makes the two of them--and others--unique. The text is lighthearted, and the detail-filled mixed-media illustrations display energy--and style. Concurrently published in Spanish as Vlad, el vampirito fabuloso.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Chef Edna Lewis (1916–2006) brought Southern cooking to the forefront of American cuisine. Growing up in Freetown, Virginia, a place founded by her grandfather and other formerly enslaved people, Edna helped Mama Daisy make meals. With fresh fish in spring, summer garden vegetables, sweet potatoes in fall, and biscuits year-round, Edna and her mother fed their family and community. When she was fifteen, Edna moved to New York, working odd jobs such as typing and answering phones to help support her family. Her work as a seamstress was what got her noticed, however, and she was soon designing and sewing clothes for celebrities. As her star rose in the social circles of New York, she began to host and cater parties using Mama Daisy's recipes, and her food became as famous as her dress designs. She eventually opened her own Manhattan restaurant, where socialites wondered which culinary school in Paris she'd attended. "Her Paris was Freetown, the flavors of home passed down from one generation to the next." Noel make s frequent use of fragmented sentences to punctuate the methodical effort of Edna's work ("Ironing. Cleaning. Cooking. Sending the money she earned back home"). Cabrera's vivid paintings are equally at home depicting the glamour of New York society and the closeness of Freetown's community. Appended with an author's note, additional resources, and a recipe for biscuits.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kaja Kajfež. This idiosyncratic biography of women who defied gender-normative clothing (for reasons strategic, practical, personal, etc.) is full of tantalizing historical details and a curious tone that acknowledges historical records are often imprecise, incomplete, or misleading. Twenty subjects, from ancient history (Amazon warrior Hypsicratea, first century BCE) through the twentieth century (African American pro baseball player "Toni" Stone), are profiled in surprising depth in each six- to eight-page chapter. The entertaining narratives are supplemented with archival images and quirky sidebar anecdotes, as well as full-page illustrated portraits. Meticulous source notes, an extensive bibliography, and an index (unseen) are appended.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Toledano. In the early-1900s, lonely Edith dressed animals (real ones and toys) in whatever she could, gradually building a collection of fabric scraps ("[her] greatest treasure"). During high school in L.A., she falls in love with the movies; persevering through a long career full of rejections, Head eventually becomes an (eight-time!) Oscar-winning costume designer. Well-versed in female-artist-underdog stories (Ablaze with Color; Maya Lin), Harvey's plainspoken narrative conveys Head's scrappy determination and a humble personality content out of the spotlight. Toledano's hand-rendered illustrations utilize different techniques--including what appears to be, fittingly, fabric collage.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. Descended from generations of dressmakers in the Deep South, Ann Lowe attended a segregated design school in 1917 NYC--and was "best in her class"; her genius remained underrecognized until she designed gowns for "the wedding of the year" (Jaqueline Bouvier to JFK). The narrative varies its tone to echo both talent and tenacity: flowery descriptions of Lowe's couture (silk roses "soft as dew") trade with tighter passages on process ("Measure, snip, pin up the hems"). The digital illustrations can look slick but do justice to the rich colors and textures.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Pippins. From childhood in segregated Georgia to millinery school in Chicago during the Great Migration to small-business success in mid-century Philadelphia: hatmaker Mae Reeves's biography also conveys much about Black American history writ large. Rhuday-Perkovich's sonorous language ("Hats were a way for these queens to be SEEN") is further strengthened by repetition of the titular theme: "Mae, like so many, made a way out of no way." Pippins's digital art has an abstract design aesthetic befitting the fabulous hats and accessories. Material from the related Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture exhibit is appended, along with a bibliography.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) YA In this culturally rich romance, Yang (Parachutes, rev. 5/20) revisits themes of gender, class, racism, and identity in another story with elements from her own life. Alternating first-person narrators Serene and Lian, both of Chinese descent, experience their racial and ethnic identities in fully distinct ways. Lian hides his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian from his hard-working, traditional parents. When Serene's successful fashion-designer mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Serene becomes the parent, unprepared for the emotional and physical toll of caring for her mom. Unsupported by her sex-obsessed boyfriend and driven to locate her long-lost father, Serene comes to Lian's Chinese club, and the two grow close. The teens support each other through their aspirations and trials, finding strength in their common experiences (e.g., microaggressions at school; the push and pull between ­authenticity and assimilation) while confronting generational expectations. Yang excels at spinning stories with vibrant characters that open ­readers' hearts and invite them to question their own expectations and assumptions.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: You Should Meet series. Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. The Japanese artist, fashion designer, and writer Yayoi Kusama "never stopped following her dreams." Readers learn about Kusama's childhood and career, from Japan to New York City and back; the focus is on her creativity and determination in the face of obstacles (for example, plagiarism of her work by male peers, including Andy Warhol). The cleanly designed early reader features illustrations bursting with color, many pages featuring Kusama's signature polka dots. Some loosely related facts about Japan, art, and artists, along with a comprehension quiz, are included.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 Born into slavery, Elizabeth Keckly (sometimes spelled Keckley) followed in her mother's footsteps as a seamstress and dressmaker, eventually earning the twelve hundred dollars she needed to buy her and her son's freedom. One the eve of the Civil War she moved from St. Louis to Washington, where her work caught the attention of the wives of leaders on both sides of the growing conflict--Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis; Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee; and Mary Todd Lincoln. When Keckly's party dress for Mrs. Lincoln was a success, she was commissioned to make at least fifteen more over the next couple of years. Schofield-Morrison's (I Got the Christmas Spirit, rev. 11/18) text effectively combines a third-person narrative with italicized, unflinching first-person quotations drawn from Keckly's memoir, Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House. The refrain "stitch by stitch" runs throughout the text, a thread complemented by Zunon's (I Am Farmer, rev. 1/19; Off to See the Sea, rev. 1/21) illustrations using a variety of media, including fabric, lace, ribbon, and appliqué. A handsome introduction to a remarkable woman and her craft. An author's note and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard . Twelve-year-old Cove, lonesome after best friend Nina moves from Martha's Vineyard to NYC with her dads, makes three new friends. One, an elder-home resident, teaches Cove to sew. In hopes of visiting Nina, Cove determines to win a spot on a Project Runway–like show. Blecher's characters are well rounded, and her sense of place--including the vacation destination's socioeconomic disparities--effectively conveyed. Occasional sketches (ostensibly by Nina) are interspersed.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) YA California girl Kimi is visiting her grandparents in Japan over spring break. On the trip, she learns more about her family, discovers a direction for her future--and finds romance with a guy who wears a mochi costume. Although readers will recognize Kimi's passion--fashion--long before she does, they'll be drawn in by the setting and Kimi's enthusiastic narration.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lorian Tu-Dean. Common fashion maxims are spun into rhyming messages of empowerment emphasized by mixed-media illustrations of girls playing joyously while they explore different potential occupations. "You can be brave dressed in reds or in blues," reads the text while the pictured girls pretend to be a firefighter and a police officer. A clever and original take on the ubiquitous girls-can-be-anything picture book.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Masha D'yans. "Pictures were his words, fashion his language." Blumenthal's quote-filled tribute to New York Times street-fashion photographer Bill Cunningham focuses on his approach. D'yans's vibrant watercolors catwalk across each page, emphasizing the patterns, palettes, and shapes of the clothing that so enamored Cunningham; the man himself is fittingly pictured where he most liked to be: behind the camera. An author's note provides more straightforward biographical information. Bib.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Desierto. When Juno looks for her own missing shoes, she finds a magical realm where she can wear the shoes of influential women such as Serena Williams, Jane Goodall, Lady Gaga, and Misty Copeland. This lighthearted story provides exuberant glimpses into the style and accomplishments of some famous women. Desierto's bold mixed-media illustrations offer fun and fashion in equal measure. Includes a guide to the women (and their shoes).

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(2) YA In the fantastical courtly society of Orléans, everyone is born ugly--except for the innately lovely Belles, who also have the supernatural ability to manipulate others' appearance. Camille, the queen's Favorite Belle, moves into the palace to provide beauty services to royals and aristocrats. Clayton vividly describes her world's dazzling fashion and lavish galas in the midst of profound racism/colorism, indentured servitude, and distorted body image.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) YA From ancient cleanliness customs to corsets to Victoria's Secret, this well-documented survey takes a feminist look at the whys and hows of ladies' lingerie. The historical narrative investigates the development of corsets, bras, and other undergarments from the point of view of cultural phenomena and evolving attitudes toward the female figure, including current ideas about gender. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. An imagined first-person voice, dotted with (sourced) quotations, introduces flamboyant Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Beginning with her parents' harsh treatment of her, the narrative reveals a creative woman determined to leave a designing legacy with inventive, playful looks. The watercolor, gouache, and pencil-crayon illustrations depict how a dreary childhood "bloomed" into a color-filled life. An appended note says more about Schiaparelli's accomplishments. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer:

(3) 4-6 The trajectory of the French fashion designer's life and successful career is outlined in a well-researched, highly readable biography. Rubin addresses the darker parts of Chanel's history--her childhood in an orphanage, her relationship with a Nazi intelligence officer--as well as her iconic industry "firsts," including women's suits and the little black dress. The elegantly designed volume includes plenty of photographs. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan