I have nothing to wear!

A picture book for budding fashion designers

Jennifer Minicus | Oct 18 2016 | comment

I Had a Favorite Dressby Boni Ashburn. illustrated by Julia Denos
written for ages 2-7 | recommended
published in 2011 | Harry N. Abrams | 32 pages

Parents of little girls will appreciate the drama that the young girl in this picture book experiences when she outgrows her favorite dress. Her resourceful mother responds to her daughter’s pout by turning it into a shirt. Of course, children keep growing, so when the shirt sleeves become too tight, Mom makes a tank top and eventually a skirt, a scarf, a pair of socks and eventually a hair bow. The protagonist of the story learns to turn lemons into lemonade. Denos’ cheerful, colorful illustrations add to the optimism of the story.

A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother.

Until World War II, American men had two choices: they could work or they could look for work. But today there is a third choice: they can sit at home and channel-surf. In one of the most disturbing books you will read about American society, demographer Nicholas Eberstadt describes the lot of the 7 million men in their prime years who have no job and are not looking for one.

They are, he says, almost entirely idle. They don’t volunteer, take origami lessons, or do housework. They just hang around, turning “socializing, relaxing and leisure” is a full-time occupation. It’s a scandalous phenomenon which flies under the radar of politicians, journalists and policy-makers. They need to confront an issue which Eberstadt describes as “a grave social ill”. Read about his new book, “Men Without Work” below.

Michael Cook
Editor
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