Review Detail

Daddy Dressed Me

Kids Fiction 405

When Your Dad is a Sewist!

June 07, 2023

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

When a young girl is ready to graduate from kindergarten, she is a bit apprehensive about reciting a poem at the ceremony. Her father, who has sewn dresses for her for daddy-daughter dances, offers to make her a dress. The two go shopping, and she finds the perfect fabric that makes her look like "a princess". Even though the father has good sewing skills, he struggles with getting the dress just right, and has to work hard to get it to be the way he wants. There is a seam ripper involved! The dress is just what the girl wants, and it has the suprising effect of raising her confidence. She has seen her father persevere with creating her garment even though it took a long time and required a lot of effort, and she is able to internalize this and apply it to the tough thing that she must do!

Good Points

Fisher's illustrations are brightly colored and have clean lines, but the best part is that she must either be a sewer (or a sewist, to use the modern term) or has done a lot of research. She draws scissor use correctly, as well as both hand and machine sewing. There is even a seam ripper. Definite bonus points for this!

There is a great end note about why Mr. Gardner started to sew, and some fun pictures of him and his daughter Ava in matching outfits. There is something about having a garment made with love just for you that is definitely a confidence booster, and I loved seeing this connection made for young readers. I also appreciated that he started out remaking thrift store garments!

The most similar comparison for this book to Cherry and Harrison's Hair Love, but this is also a great book for people who understand how important the right clothes (and especially the right DRESS) can be for one's self esteem! I know that I was sewing doll clothes when I was six, so love to see books about sewing for young readers. There are lots of books about various aspects of clothing and sewing that will go well with Daddy Dressed Me, including I Had a Favorite Dress
By Boni Ashburn and Julia Denos (for those who are sentimental), Harvey's Dressing Up the Stars (for budding designers), or Gopal's Paati's Saris (for family connections), Hatch's Rosie and the Pre-Loved Dress (because I love a good bargain!).