The Prince and the Dressmaker
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A fairy tale for any age, Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride—or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia—the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances—one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family.
This title has Common Core connections.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A talented seamstress and a prince with a secret will win readers' hearts in Wang's utterly charming graphic novel, which is set in a playfully tweaked version of 19th-century Paris and highlights identity, acceptance, and fashion. After creating a scandalous dress for an attendee of Prince Sebastian's 16th birthday party, Frances an overlooked seamstress with big dreams accepts a position as personal seamstress for a mystery client. She soon discovers that her employer is none other than Prince Sebastian, who wants her to create dazzling gowns for Lady Crystallia, Sebastian's alter ego, who quickly becomes a fashion icon. Despite Frances's connection with Sebastian, she worries that being part of the prince's secret is limiting her dreams of finding success as a designer. The relationship between Frances and Sebastian both as a conflicted prince and the glamorous Crystallia glows; Frances understands that Sebastian and Crystallia are two halves of a brilliant whole. "It's weird, I don't feel like Prince Sebastian could lead a nation into battle, but Lady Crystallia could," admits the prince, inspiring Frances to create an armor-themed dress for their next midnight escapade. Frances's daring designs shine in Wang's elegantly drafted and gorgeously colored illustrations, and the irreverently anachronistic approach to the setting provides a lovely and humorous counterbalance to the seriousness of the prince's situation ("Prepare to get your lady groove on," insists the burly, bearded king, who is eager for Sebastian to be betrothed). It's all but certain to deliver grins, gasps, and some happy tears. Ages 12 up.
