Customer Reviews

The Princess Gown

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
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Both of my daughters (ages 5 and 8) fell in love with this book immediately, and it's easy to see why. Not only is it full of things that little girls love to read about (a princess and lots of wedding gowns), it also has a charming story that every child can relate to. Beautifully written and illustrated, the book is sure to become a children's classic.

Based on true historical events, The Princess Gown tells the story of Hanna, an embroiderer's daughter, whose family enters a wedding gown competition for the princess's wedding. Each child in the family is allowed to place a stitch in the gown. But after Hanna's turn, the silk shows a tiny stain that might be Hanna's fault! Then Hanna comes up with a creative solution to save the day.

The writing is elegant and warm, the rhythm perfect. The stakes in the story are high enough to create real suspense -- the family risks ending up in the poorhouse if the gown is ruined! Both the little girl and the princess are appealing characters, with whom my daughters instantly identified (Hanna climbs trees and is messy; the princess has a pet squirrel that she feeds in the garden). The final plot twist and the gentle humor throughout make the book even more satisfying. And, of course, I should mention the illustrations, richly colored like stained glass, especially the dreamy gowns, which have tiny surprises in the embroidery.

Now I'm just waiting for the Disney movie!

I read the story to my four year old granddaughter who loved it so much that she took it to school one day so that her teacher could read it out loud. The kids liked the book so much that my grandchild had to bring it back a second day. She liked the story not only because it's about a princess but also because Hanna's suggestion was seized upon by her elders and was incorporated as an important design on the gown. As an adult, I loved the idea that the story was based on family history. The story was lovely and well written. The accompanying illustrations were beautiful.

"This is a beautifully crafted tale that makes a perfect gift, especially for children who are enchanted by princesses. The story and the illustrations are absolutely lovely!"

Hanna's resourcefulness and creativity helped her to play in places such as high tree limbs where she had an eagle's eye view of the goings-on, but these traits also led to messy clothes and dirty hands whenever she came home. Was it her dirty hands that smudged the gorgeous wedding dress that her father had hand-crafted for the competition to become the official Embroider to the Princess? With no way to remove the stain in time, Hanna and her family must find a way to hide the flaw or risk heading to the poorhouse if the princess chooses a different tailor's dress.

For those who judge a book by its cover, be forewarned: this book is certainly no ordinary enchanted fairytale. Rather, it weaves a set of interesting economics lessons about innovation, producers, and consumers into an entertaining story about a child's attempt to fix a problem. With its exquisite illustrations, clever text, and substantive content, The Princess Gown comes as a breath of fresh air in the crowded market of princess books.

Much work goes into designing and sewing a wedding dress, especially a wedding dress fit for a princess. As Princess Annabel's wedding approaches all the tailors in the kingdom design elaborate wedding dresses in hopes of becoming the official Embroiderer to the Princess. A little girl named Hanna excitedly watches as her papa lovingly pieces together a beautiful and elaborate dress. All the members of the Abraham family, including each of the children, put a stitch into the dress. When it's Hanna's turn to stitch she notices a small smudge on the skirt. Shaken, the family frets about how to fix the small flaw. Little Hanna offers a very creative solution involving an embroidered squirrel, but will the princess approve?

This book has all the markings of a lovely, old-fashioned fairy tale, but surprisingly it is partially based on fact. According to a statement on the author's website, "This picture book, with lavish illustrations by Malene Laugesen, got its start in the author's family history, where in Victorian England, her husband's great great great grandfather was Embroiderer to the Queen." The Princess Gown is a fascinating read with lovely intricate illustrations. The Victorian styled hoop dresses portrayed in the book are truly exquisite! My daughter studied Laugesen's oil crayon and linseed oil illustrations with intensity. The dresses on the last pages remind me of Tiffany lamps with their nature inspired designs. If you're looking for a solid and unique princess themed tale, this one fits the bill perfectly.

The girls at our elementary school adore this book, and so do I. The story is fun and creative, but it's the illustrations that make this book irresistible. The gowns are a dream, with such amazing details and creativity. The illustrator has made quite a connection with the female population at our school, for this book NEVER makes it to the shelf before being checked out again. I'm still puzzled over the comments made about the illustrations in the School Library Journal. Maybe she prefers pants to princess gowns??? This book will be a gift for all my nieces as they turn 5.

Wonderful story that's well written and appropriate for all ages. characters have depth even though it's not a long book at all. Introduced new vocabulary words for my 6 year old, and it taught the value of creative solutions and the business savvy of knowing your customer(s). :)

I bought this book for my niece (who is 8) for Christmas. We sat down Christmas evening and read it and I think I enjoyed the book as much as she did. Thanks Mrs. Strauss for writing this book! I would recommend this book highly.