Mary has STYLE! In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some childhood favorites go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's friends look fine. But are they too well dressed for recess? Don't worry—Mary always shows her flair for what to wear!
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Sterling)
'[an] exuberant picture-book ode to the fun of fashion.' 'Shelf Awareness
This little Mary has STYLE! In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some of childhood's most beloved characters go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear, too) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's school friends look fantastic in their finery. But are they now too well dressed for recess? Not to worry'mary always shows her flair for what to wear!
- (
Sterling)
“[an] exuberant picture-book ode to the fun of fashion.” —Shelf Awareness
This little Mary has STYLE! In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some of childhood's most beloved characters go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear, too) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's school friends look fantastic in their finery. But are they now too well dressed for recess? Not to worry—Mary always shows her flair for what to wear!
- (
Sterling)
Mary has STYLE! In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some childhood favorites go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's friends look fine. But are they too well dressed for recess? Don't worry'mary always shows her flair for what to wear!
- (
Sterling)
Tammi Sauer is the author of Chicken Dance, Bawk and Roll, Cowboy Camp, and Your Alien, which has earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus (all Sterling). She is an active blogger (tammisauer.com) and highly involved in the children's writer community, in addition to being a great promoter of her own books. Tammi has worked as a teacher and library media specialist and now lives in OK with her husband and their two children. Her local indie bookstore, Best of Books, in Edmond, OK, has named July 9th Tammi Sauer Day. Follow her on Twitter at @SauerTammi.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator whose passion for children’s books began when she came across Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as a child in the 1960s. Snowy Day marked one of the first representations of black children in picture books, and seeing a character that looked like her and lived in a neighborhood like her own was a turning point in Vanessa’s life. Vanessa hopes to inspire young readers as Keats did for her and a generation of children. She is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table (both Blue Apple Books), and has illustrated numerous children’s books including One Love and Every Little Thing (both Chronicle), words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and Presenting Tallulah (Aladdin), written by Tori Spelling. Vanessa lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband of 20 years, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes.
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Sterling)
Tammi Sauer is the author of Chicken Dance, Bawk and Roll, Cowboy Camp, and Your Alien, which has earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus (all Sterling). She is an active blogger (tammisauer.com) and highly involved in the children's writer community, in addition to being a great promoter of her own books. Tammi has worked as a teacher and library media specialist and now lives in OK with her husband and their two children. Her local indie bookstore, Best of Books, in Edmond, OK, has named July 9th Tammi Sauer Day. Follow her on Twitter at @SauerTammi.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator whose passion for children's books began when she came across Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as a child in the 1960s. Snowy Day marked one of the first representations of black children in picture books, and seeing a character that looked like her and lived in a neighborhood like her own was a turning point in Vanessa's life. Vanessa hopes to inspire young readers as Keats did for her and a generation of children. She is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table (both Blue Apple Books), and has illustrated numerous children's books including One Love and Every Little Thing (both Chronicle), words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and Presenting Tallulah (Aladdin), written by Tori Spelling. Vanessa lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband of 20 years, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes.
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Sterling)
Booklist Reviews
The author of I Love Cake! Starring Rabbit, Porcupine, and Moose (2016) here reworks Sarah Josepha Hale's rhyme about a girl and her lamb in order to spin a tale of fashion and accessories. "Mary had a little glam / that grew into a LOT. / And everywhere that Mary went, / she wasn't hard to spot." Mary—a stylish African American girl—arrives at school dressed to the nines and soon begins embellishing the garb of her drab classmates using boas, beads, and glitter glue. All goes well until recess, when the decked-out kids discover how difficult it is to play in fancy duds. Luckily, Mary also knows a thing or two about deaccessorizing, especially in the service of fun. Brantley-Newton's exuberant digital illustrations capture both Mary's flair and her joie de vivre as she twirls through this story in complete control of her world. Mary's enthusiasm is catching among her multiethnic classmates, who have a ball in both their sparkles and mud splatters on the playground. An inventive and fun read-aloud for groups or one-on-one. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews
Brown-skinned Mary is an ultra-fashionable girl who commands the spotlight wherever she goes because of her glamorous accessories. She makes-over her fellow Mother Goose Elementary students, but will recess wreck the outfits? The revamped nursery-rhyme characters are diversely portrayed in Brantley-Newton's collaged digital illustrations for this zippy rhyming story with a lesson for young fashionistas: "sometimes less is more!" Copyright 2017 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
Pinkalicious + Fancy Nancy + Eloise = Mary, the diminutive, precocious, brown-skinned queen of glam. The day Mary starts school, she declares to her mom, "I must accessorize." And she does. With bows, buttons, scarves, and even a sheep-shaped purse with an attitude, Mary turns heads all over town. Her drab-looking (though racially diverse) classmates at Mother Goose Elementary (Little Boy Blue, Georgie Porgie, and Little Bo Peep as well as the unnamed others) certainly appear to have stepped out of eras long gone by. The brown-skinned teacher, complete with a bun atop her crown, also appears to be a relic. Mary soon changes their glamless lives with beads, feather boas, sporty hats, and festive patterns aplenty. Mary's makeover magic leaves no school subject or space unturned. When recess arrives, a crisis ensues, for the kids are dressed all wrong for romping. Undaunted, Mary knows exactly what to do. Sauer's rhythm never falters, and Brantley-Newton's bright, fun-filled illustrations teem with energy and life and will keep young readers guessing: who or what will Mary accessorize next, and how? The array of skin tones will help all readers see themselves in this book in which imagination and creativity reign supreme. Whether by happenstance or by design, this delightful picture book positively answers the call for more books about children of color that aren't about civil rights or slavery. Welcome, Mary! We hope to see you again. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Reviews
PreS-Gr 2—Move over, Fancy Nancy—there's a new glamour queen in town! Mary's number one goal for her new year at school is to look absolutely fabulous. Covered in accessories, including her bedroom curtain, Mary struts down the block, attracting the attention of townsfolk and resident pooches. Arriving at Mother Goose Elementary, Mary is shocked to see her teacher and classmates dressed in bland clothing from eras long past. Swooping in to save the day, she offers fashion suggestions to all of the students and teachers. Even Clark, the classroom pet snake, gets accessorized with a monocle and top hat. The newly fashion-forward educators and kids incorporate style into school traditions such as storytime, art class, and music class. However, when recess arrives, the students are in a panic. Looking to Mary, they exclaim, "We're clearly dressed all wrong for this!" Mary thinks fast, tosses her silk-lined cape, and jumps right into play, with her classmates following quickly behind. Brantley-Newton's bright and busy illustrations full of racially diverse children and adults appeal to the eye without distracting from the text, while Sauer's quick and witty rhyme will keep children engaged and on their toes. VERDICT This fun and lively read-aloud with an African American protagonist is suitable for any children's collection.—Marian Mays, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.
