mentor texts · Read Aloud

Every-Day Dress-Up + A Giveaway

Stacey Shubitz
Permission to run the images in this post was provided by Random House. For more information about the giveaway, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

Last year I wrote a blog post entitled “Rethinking and Rewriting Princess Stories” which included some of my thoughts about princess culture.  I was pregnant with my daughter when I wrote it.  Nearly one year has passed since I wrote that blog post and I’ve done lots of thinking about princesses and what it means to act and dress up like a princess.  Quite frankly, I’m still not into it.  Fortunately, my daughter is young enough that I can control what she wears and reads.  She doesn’t have a stitch clothing that says “princess” on it.  In addition, I haven’t read her a single book that includes a princess.  (However, I have to admit to watching Kate and William’s Wedding with her.  That was a media event I couldn’t imagine missing.)  That being said, a few years from now, when she reaches pre-school, I know PRINCESS MANIA will set in.  Hence, I know I need to be reading her the kinds of books that will inspire and empower her, which is why I’m thankful for a new book that recently landed on my desk.  Selina Alko wrote Every-Day Dress-Up as “an alternative to the panoply of princess dress-up books.”

THANK GOODNESS for this Every-Day Dress-Up!  I’m constantly searching for picture books that will inspire my daughter as she grows up.  I’ve found books like President Barack Obama’s of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters and Jennifer Fosberry’s My Name is NOT Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream.  Each of those talk about strong women who have accomplished great things.  Every-Day Dress Up does the same kind of thing but with a wonderful twist.  It’s about a little girl who is inspired by great women and seeks to dress up like them (instead of dressing up like a princess).  Here’s a peek into two of her seven costumes:

Every-Day Dress-Up, as well as the other books I mentioned above, can be offered as a mentor to the little girls as alternatives to the princess stories they often wish to write in writing workshop.  By exploring alternatives to princess stories, it’s possible that we can inspire girls into new ways of thinking about the stories they wish to tell.

My mother-in-law, who is a retired literacy specialist and reading recovery teacher found Every-Day Dress-Up in Isabelle’s play room (which is the biggest nod I can give to a picture book these days) and read it.  When she was finished she said, “Every little girl should have this book.”  She’s right.  It should be on a every girl’s bookshelf since it will inspire girls to not only aspire to be like the great women of our society, but it will inspire them to be great themselves.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

  • Thank you to Random House Children’s Books for agreeing to sponsor a giveaway of one copy of Every-Day Dress-Up.

  • To win a copy of the book please leave a comment about this post, in the comments section of this post by Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A random drawing will take place on Sunday, December 4th and the winner’s name will be announced in a blog post later that day.

  • Please be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment so I can contact you to obtain your mailing address and have my contact at Random House send the book out to you.  Please note: Your e-mail address will not be published online.

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Published by Stacey Shubitz

Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her forthcoming book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.

35 thoughts on “Every-Day Dress-Up + A Giveaway”

  1. Pingback: And a Copy of Every-Day Dress-Up Goes to… « TWO WRITING TEACHERS

  2. Oh Stacy, I just love this. I have 2 boys so I don’t see the princess syndrome often. My niece is obsessed with princesses and it makes me gringe. This would be a great book to share with her when she visits. Thank you for the giveaway.

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  3. Wow! This looks amazing! I’ve read Cinderella Ate My Daughter because, despite my best efforts, I have a princess! She loves dressing up as anything, although lately its been Lava Girl!!

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  4. i think this is a book my first graders must hear! and ps- even though the paperbag princess is technically a “princess” book, elizabeth is one of my all time favorite strong female characters!

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  7. My grandaughter is 5 and has been bitten by the “princess syndrome” for the last 2 years! Can she still be saved?????? I would love to give this book to her for Christmas.

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  13. This looks like a great book and I’ve already added it to my Amazon wish list! Thanks for sharing this! My daughters enjoy princesses but they also enjoy everything else and will dress up as many different things. The joy they find in dressing up is amazing to watch and I look forward to sharing this book with them.

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  14. Stacey, thank you! I too have avoided princess attire and hope my little lady doesn’t get entranced by the princess phenomenon as she gets older. (I guess time will tell!) If she does, hopefully this book can help us balance between reality and fantasy. Again, thanks for shedding light on a great book.

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  17. I love the idea of this book. I have a granddaughter that is being pushed into the princess mode. This book would be great for her. Even if I don’t win it I will definitely buy this one. Thanks for the review.

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  19. What a wonderful idea….to encourage dress up as someone other than a princess…..sooo many choice of who to be! I think girls will love this book!

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  20. From a mom of a princess loving 4-year old, I truly appreciate this book. Thank you for highlighting it. I will be making sure our library at school has a few copies as well as one for my “princess”!

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  21. What an awesome book. I wished it had been published when my youngest daughter was little. She was quite a princess. Wait – she still is a princess that is!! This would be a fun addition to my classroom for all my princesses!!

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  24. SOunds like a good one! Isabelle would also like the Carmela LaVigna Coyle books “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” etc. Good to let those girls know they can be princesses and do all the fun stuff too!

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  25. The book and the other ideas are terrific. My daughter works hard to keep the princess stuff from happening to her oldest, 2 1/2 year old daughter, but it is everywhere! Thanks for the idea of this new book. As a teacher of older students I’ve tried hard to find those books with excellent role models, and now as a literacy coach, I’m working hard to catch up my knowledge of books for younger students. This will add to my collection. Thanks for the sharing.

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  27. I have granddaughters who love to dress up – I can hardly wait to get a copy for them. Should stimulate some interesting writing from students as well.

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  33. I’d love to have this book in my classroom!

    I don’t have as much of the princess mania, since my students are third and fourth graders, but they’ve moved on to t-shirts that say things like “my brother does my math homework” and “I’m the cute one”. These t-shirts make me sad.

    I think having books about women who did (or are doing) awesome things helps counteract some of that cultural narrative of “girls aren’t good for much but looking pretty”.

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