PRINCESS BESS GETS DRESSED
by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Heather Maione
A stylish young princess, weary of dressing à la mode, yearns for her favorite outfit. In jaunty rhyming couplets, Cuyler describes Bess’s extravagant array of trappings. From the moment she awakens until she retires for the evening, this fashionable young princess has an outfit for every conceivable occasion. Breakfast with the queen requires nothing less than velveteen while lunch with the prince finds Bess resplendent in chintz (pantaloons). The playful rhymes detailing fanciful costumes continue until Bess reveals her attire of choice. Maione’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict a lavishly outfitted tot with a cascade of red curls. Her imaginative confections will satisfy even the most ardent of princess devotees. Comical details, such as the inclusion of Bess’s mischievous pup in every vignette and the princess’s recalcitrant expressions as she is bedecked and beribboned, keep the story from becoming cloying. A good choice for budding princesses both starry-eyed and sassy. (Picture book. 4-8)