DRESS ME!
No, not me. I’m quite capable of dressing myself, thankyouverymuch. Although I often remain in my pajamas. It’s a comfortable life!
I’m talking about the new book by author-illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy, and it’s a dress-up delight for little readers. What child doesn’t love pretend play, imagining themselves as anything they long to be?
Sarah Frances, how did DRESS ME! come to be?
I knew I wanted to do a companion book for PAINT ME! which released last year from Sky Pony Press, and I had written a manuscript for a dress up book a few years ago that never quite worked. My agent and I talked through it, and she suggested I take the dress-up idea and do another “me!” book with that.
So did you play dress up as a child? What was your favorite thing to be? Were any of your childhood choices reflected in the book?
Did I ever!
The best Christmas gift I ever received was from my grandmother when I was about eight-years-old. She gave me an antique trunk full of the most fabulous dress up clothes ever—shoes, gloves, funky hats, bridal veil, aprons. Over the years, I added to the collection with anything I could find. My dad was a doctor and he gave me a real stethoscope as well as a set of his scrubs …so those definitely found their way into my book.
I don’t remember what my favorite thing to be was, but there are lots of pictures of me wearing a mish-mash of gloves, sparkly dress, high heels and a bridal veil with a hat over it. I can only describe the look as “eccentric hippie bag lady”. And no, that look didn’t make it into the book. 🙂
The little girl in the book is having a fabulous time. What do you think her favorite dress up costume was? (Besides the last one, of course, which we can’t give away!)
Since the book was inspired by (and dedicated to) my middle daughter Sallie who’s a dancer, I’m going to have to say the tutu. Who wouldn’t love getting to do lots of fun twirlies?
When did you know you wanted to be an author-illustrator? When did you go from “dressing up” as one to being one?
One of my favorite props to bring to school visits is my paint smock which is one of my husband’s old button-downs that’s now covered in paint. So I still dress the part!
But to answer your question, my background was in fine art, and I spent years showing in galleries and art shows.
But I had always had a secret dream of writing and illustrating children’s books, and over the years, I submitted manuscripts and illustrations to a handful of publishers without any luck. When my youngest daughter was a baby (she’s eleven now), I decided to shift gears and really commit to being a published author/illustrator. I started going to SCBWI conferences and learning everything that I could about the entire process. I sent out manuscripts and got rejected. I revised, revised, revised—both the writing and my illustrations. I sold my first book PUZZLED BY PINK in 2010 (it released in 2012).
The story would not be the same without the cute little doggie sidekick. Is he fashioned after anyone you know?
All of my books feature a pet following the main character throughout the story and getting in on the action. In PAINT ME!, a gray Schnauzer follows the little girl around as she paints everything around her. He is based on the dog I had when I was a little girl. In DRESS ME!, I chose a King Charles Spaniel for no other reason except that I think they are the cutest little dogs (we have one in our neighborhood). The dog we have now is a giant Black Lab named Jake, and while I’d love to feature him in a book, I was afraid he’d overwhelm the little girl in the story–both in size and energy level! Also, after painting a black cat in every spread in my first book PUZZLED BY PINK, I vowed to never feature another solid black animal. It was so hard!
Besides having fun, what’s the message at the heart of “Dress Me!”?
The message at the heart of the story is “be yourself.”
But I also wanted to throw in a (not so subtle) message to young girls that it’s doesn’t always have to be about dressing up in sparkles and high heels. Girls can be anything they want to be whether it’s a monster or a doctor or a teacher, and it has more to do with what you can do than what you look like.
Amen to that!
Thanks, Sarah Frances, for introducing us to your new book. And thank you for offering blog readers a signed copy!
Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite dress-up memory. (One comment per person, please.) A random winner will be selected in a couple weeks. (Which sometimes means more than a couple, LOL.)
You can also learn more about Sarah Frances Hardy, her books and her fine art at www.sfhardy.com.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 
57 comments
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June 3, 2015 at 10:12 am
Josh Funk
i like to dress up as a dragon. oh, wait, did you mean as a kid?
June 3, 2015 at 10:12 am
jhayslett
I’m no longer 8, but I can SO relate to “Dress Me”! My favorite dress-up outfit was an aqua tutu. I LOVED wearing that! I want “Dress Me” for a little girl in my life and a copy for the little girl in me!
June 3, 2015 at 10:12 am
Sue Heavenrich
definitely sneaking mom’s heels and swishy skirts from her closet and sashaying around the house with my sister.
June 3, 2015 at 10:13 am
Denise Bowman
I used to dress up in an old bright, swirly jumpsuit that my Mom wore in the 60’s/early ’70’s, and pretend I was part of Tony Orlando and Dawn! I would put the album on my parents’ stereo and sing and do the backup choreography for hours on end. 🙂
The Dress Me book looks adorable! Thanks for the insight!
June 3, 2015 at 10:19 am
Wendy Greenley
My favorite dress-up memories are wearing costumes for school musicals. Putting on the costume allowed me to “be” someone else, singing and dancing.
June 3, 2015 at 10:23 am
Cathy C. Hall
I used to dress up like Julie Andrews. Which was pretty much just me in front of a mirror, singing into a hairbrush. (It was all in the accent.)
June 3, 2015 at 10:25 am
danielledufayet
What a great topic for little girls. I think dressing up is in our DNA! Thanks for sharing and wishing you tons of success!
June 3, 2015 at 10:34 am
ptnozell
My favorite dress up memory is of my daughters (am I dating myself?), many, many years ago wearing old bridesmaids’ dresses (real ones!), at the home of a friend. Her son was less than thrilled to be pulled into the scene, although still posts shots of the “wedding” on Facebook.
June 3, 2015 at 10:35 am
Anita Banks
I too, sang into a hairbrush, my sisters and I would dress up a pretend to be Sonny and Cher!
June 3, 2015 at 10:45 am
Barbara Tiffany
My favorite dress up memory was the time I tried on my mom’s shoes and found out we were the same size. Startling!
June 3, 2015 at 11:10 am
Andria
I dressed up as a prima ballerina, right down to my toe-shoes.
June 3, 2015 at 11:18 am
Nancy Tandon
My kids have a box I marked, “DRESS UP SUPERSTAR.” They have grown past it, but it’s the one thing I can’t bear to give away. Now I love when the neighbor friends come and play. I love seeing them ‘be themselves’ while they are ‘trying on’ a different persona. Long live dress up!
June 3, 2015 at 11:21 am
colleenrkosinski
I like to dress up as a queen. I had lots of costume jewelry!
June 3, 2015 at 11:22 am
Teresa Robeson
I have serious antique-trunk-full-of-dress-up-clothes envy! Sarah’s grandmother’s the most awesome person in the world. 😀 My parents never encouraged dressing up but my favorite “costume” was a little kimono-style pajamas that one of my dad’s friends bought for me.
June 3, 2015 at 11:46 am
lgalaske
What a wonderful idea for a PB! My brother and I played king and queen. We used blankets as our royal robes and lined the path to our thrones at the top of the stairs with the dirty laundry produced by a family of eight. From there, we ruled our loyal subjects both imaginary and canine.
June 3, 2015 at 11:50 am
Kathy Doherty
Oh, yeah, I remember wearing my mother’s high heels [not neck-breaking high] and her knotted long pearl necklace [not real pearls] and her red lipstick [an old tube]. I thought I looked stunning.
June 3, 2015 at 11:56 am
Natasha Wing
Dressing up like a pioneer for our town’s bicentennial.
June 3, 2015 at 12:16 pm
katrinamoorebooks
What a cute book, and a great message! I always wanted to be a “Bad Guy” or a “Princess Bride!”
June 3, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Lori Dubbin
I used to dress up as Cinderella, tucking in extra flowing scarves to my skirt “for rags.” My sisters (who I made be the step sisters) have been reminding me of this lately because of the Cinderella movie that’s out now. 🙂
June 3, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Genevieve Petrillo
This sounds awesome – especially for my dog, Cupcake. She gets VERY excited when I dress her
June 3, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Michael L Vogel
I remember dressing up in my dads old Navy uniform. It was pretty amazing. Even the handcuffs…well we will save that for a book down the road..
June 3, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Elizabeth S
My daughter, Evelyn, recently received a bag of dress-up attire from a cousin. I thought she was too young at 22 months but she dug right in! She had on a tutu, butterfly wings, and about 3 necklaces before I could blink:)
June 3, 2015 at 1:43 pm
mariagianferrari
We used to love dressing up in our grandmother’s costume jewelry. The more rhinestones, the better 🙂
June 3, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Jen P
My daughter’s constant need to dress up as Elsa right now
June 3, 2015 at 2:29 pm
evelynchristensen
Fun interview! Thanks! I loved dressing up as a pirate for Halloween. We didn’t have store-bought costumes back then; I created the costume totally from scratch.
June 3, 2015 at 2:37 pm
ldk
Loved the interview! My granddaughter loves to play dress up so this would be an excellent book for her!
June 3, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Heather Pierce Stigall
This sounds like a great book and I can’t wait to read it and use it as a mentor text for something I”m working on. I have a few dress-up memories including trying on my mom and aunt’s old prom dresses (all made by my grandmother), my grandmother’s wedding dress, and a cape I asked my mom to make so I could pretend to be a super hero!
June 3, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Anna Levin
Sounds like a fun book! I remember dressing up as a giraffe in a costume created by my mother for a children’s holiday party:)
June 3, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Patricia Corcoran
Patricia Corcoran I loved to dress up in my mom’s wedding dress that she actually dyed maroon. It was a long sheath with buttons down the back. And her satin wedding shoes were fun to traipse around in!
June 3, 2015 at 4:45 pm
DaNeil
As a child, I loved dressing up in western wear and cowboy boots.
June 3, 2015 at 5:09 pm
womanwifemotherchild
I remember wearing my mother’s high-heeled shoes…a red pair and a blue pair. Funny thing is I hate wearing heels as an adult!
June 3, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Ashley Bankhead
My favorite was when my daughter wore her Little Mermaid costume to Costco, and then loudly sang songs from the movie as I got my groceries.
June 3, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Caryn Caldwell
This book looks wonderful! And my favorite dress-up memory was when my mom made a red crayon costume for me for Halloween, even though that fabric had to have been difficult to work with! She was determined, though, and it looked so great when she was done.
June 3, 2015 at 7:19 pm
Ali Pichardo
I look forward to getting and reading your books Sarah Frances. I loved playing dress ups. My friend had her mom’s old gowns that we loved to wear with long gloves. My favorite was an emerald green gown that made me feel like a princess! That’s for the memories!
June 3, 2015 at 7:28 pm
lindamartinandersen
I love that a pet shadows all your main characters. Your books are fun stuff and a reminder to be whatever you want.
I used to dress up like a cowgirl.
June 3, 2015 at 9:10 pm
Marty
One summer, my uncle, who worked for PepsiCola, gave me a fabulous full-length red cape that he received from the company. My friends & I spent that entire summer playing ‘queen,’ taking turns wearing the cape (and feeling regal!) when we were Queen; and using a bunch of old formals for her ladies-in-waiting.
Dress-up of any sort was always high on our lists as kids.
June 3, 2015 at 9:43 pm
Susan Halko
Gosh, no dress-up memory of my own, but my kids did some hilarious dressing up involving pillows, blankets, and fake mustaches when they were younger. Fun memories!
June 3, 2015 at 9:57 pm
Cathy Biggerstaff
I didn’t play dress-up when I was little but I loved to drape my doll with whatever material or ribbons I found especially to make her look like a bride. I begged for a bride doll for my birthday when I was ten. I still have that doll now, some almost 60 years later.
June 3, 2015 at 10:40 pm
Bethany Roberts
Dressing up was always fun. My dress-up memories range from my mother’s wedding gown to a Halloween costume I made of the headless horseman!
June 4, 2015 at 12:52 am
Brenda Huante
A dress up memory I have from age four is wearing my uncles’s hat when I was forced to take a nap at their home when everyone else was having fun. It was a boring hat until I found a bottle of nail polish and embellished it.
June 4, 2015 at 8:16 am
Nadine Gamble
Fabulous kid appeal! Favorite dress up memory—with my twin–getting ready for a date at mom’s vanity table–lipstick, all the necklaces we could find and heels. Dad took a picture which is one of my favorite of the two of us.
June 4, 2015 at 8:37 am
Rene` Diane Aube
My favorite part of dressing up was wearing my mother’s costume jewelry. She had a gorgeous set of clip on earrings that dripped with lovely “stones” and a necklace that matched. I felt like a princess all dressed up for the ball as I pranced around in her heeled shoes. Love the story concept,
Sarah, and the illustrations are precious. My granddaughters will just have to have a copy of this fun book 🙂 So happy you hung in there to realize your dream 🙂
June 4, 2015 at 10:48 am
winemama
I used to dress up and pretend to be Mary Poppins, including umbrella
June 4, 2015 at 11:15 am
danielle hammelef
I would walk around in my grandma’s fancy dress and wear her costume jewelry. I also used to clop around in my dad’s shoes.
June 4, 2015 at 11:27 am
Rosi Hollinbeck
Getting a trunk full of dress up clothes is a dream for a little girl. I loved dress up but don’t remember a particular outfit. The illustrations look adorable and the concept is terrific. I will definitely check this one out. Thanks for the post and a chance to win.
June 4, 2015 at 11:41 am
Angie
Reblogged this on Love, Laughter, and Life and commented:
Love it!
June 4, 2015 at 11:42 am
Angie
Love it! The colors are wonderful. I love watching my grandchildren dress up. I have a tub of fancy clothes, including capes, crowns, tutus, and fancy jewelry. They love it (even the boys). 🙂
June 4, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Erika Hitchcock
My favorite dress up story is when my sister and I dressed as gypsies. We were so small at that point our outfits were merely made of scarves and handkerchiefs but they certainly were eccentric! We put on a fashion show for my parents. I still have the poloroid from our “photo shoot” that day.
June 4, 2015 at 10:18 pm
kdveiten
I loved dressing up as a movie star/famous singer! The book sounds adorable.
June 4, 2015 at 10:34 pm
Sheri Rad
This book is perfect for two little girls I know that love picture books and dressing up like the Frozen princesses right now. But Spanish dancers are their thing from a dance program costume and shoes they own. I think the idea of a pet to follow them around would be wonderful if they weren’t allergic to everything furry.
June 5, 2015 at 10:37 am
Reena Balding
Dressing up in my mother’s nice clothes was definitely my favourite dress up memory. High heels and a white jacket, which I may have gotten lipstick on. Oops. Funnily enough my mother passed on the jacket to me many years later when it came back in style.
June 5, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Carleen M. Tjader
Loved playing dress up when I was young. My grandma kept a wonderful, old trunk upstairs, with all kinds of beautiful (at least to me) clothing of my aunt’s. Dresses and hats and purses!
June 5, 2015 at 5:27 pm
kmshelley
I dressed up with amazing pieces at my Grandma’s house. Loved being a cowgirl with boots and hat paired with a silky dress and pearls!
June 6, 2015 at 1:58 am
waengel2002
Can’t wait to read your books. My favorite dress up memory is when my sister and I dressed up our little sister in “wedding” clothes and married her to the little boy who lived in the down stairs apartment.
June 8, 2015 at 11:37 am
SevenAcreSky
Delightful–I raised two girls who dressed up constantly. They and their two girl cousins also dressed up a younger cousin–a boy, with all the frills you can imagine. With makeup, when they could find some. There’s no more fun than this simple free-form imagining which your story appears to capture well. I’ll be looking for your book Sarah, and also Paint Me!
Thanks for the insights into your writing journey.
June 12, 2015 at 1:19 pm
LaurenKerstein
I can’t wait to read all of your books! I love the animal sidekick. Thank you for sharing your writing/illustrating journey thus far.
June 20, 2015 at 10:27 pm
aliciaminor
Congratulations! I don’t have any dress up memories but this reminds me of my daughter who loves to wear a headdress (like a tiara) and a bouquet for a wedding when she was like 3-4 years old for some reason because she is too young to understand what a wedding is like. Maybe she saw it on TV or somewhere or a pretend play. Whatever it is, I can imagine how exciting your picture book is. Keep writing!