For ages 4+
Lily Murray is a personal favourite children's picture book author in our home. She's a rising star of the kid lit world and has penned both non-fiction and fiction for some years. So clever is her technique is that she can flit between humour, to heartwarming, to rhyming text and describing the most obscure dinosaur, and more! Some of our favourites by Lilly Murray include: 'Monet's Cat', 'Calm Down Cooper!', her 'You're the Hero' series, 'There Are Bugs Everywhere'.
Waterstones prize-winning illustrator, Jenny Løvlie has been wow'ing me with her beautiful artwork so much over the last couple of years... think of these gorgeous picture books: 'The Girls', 'The Boys', 'The Wide Wide Sea', 'I Love Tractors', and Paula Harrison's 'Kitty' series for young readers.
I have been waiting in anticipation for this beautiful-looking picture book to arrive... and what a treat...the pairing of Lily Murray with Jenny Løvlie too! Thank you Macmillan! Did you get a look at those end papers in the hardback copy? WOW! Sooooo pretty.
About the story
Lucy and her Aunt Agatha head out shopping to 'The Fabulous Fashion Store' for a new dress for Lucy's birthday. A flamboyant shopkeeper, full of joyful fabulousness, welcomes Lucy into his shop and with his team of assistants goes out of his way to impress Lucy with all manner of dresses (great repetition and adjectives for storytime and reading aloud). Lucy tries on all sorts of styles, colours, textures... again and again and again... but none feel 'quite right'. No-one had asked her first! All she wanted was a dress with pockets!
Lucy tells the team in the shop all about her ideal dress and why the pockets were so necessary… for her exploring and collecting. The lovely bouncy rhyming text tells the reader all about Lucy's love of the magic and the beauty of nature that fuel the passion for her adventures outdoors. The illustrations are just beautiful, colourful, plentiful and full of intricate detail throughout.
Will the shopkeeper be able to come up with the perfect dress for Lucy's birthday? Well, pick a copy of this delightful picture book to find out, and you might even rethink your wardrobe a bit too! Not all girls want to a sparkly, frilly or pouffy frock for their birthday.
About the creators
Lily Murray (author)
Lily grew up in the wilds of snowy nowhere, spending much of her time talking to animals and making up stories. She has continued to do this in her adult life, and now writes both fiction and non-fiction books for children.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilymurraybooks
Jenny Løvlie (illustrator)
Jenny Løvlie is an illustrator and bird enthusiast from Ekkerøy in northern Norway.
Drawing was always her favourite pastime and after graduating with a BA in Illustration and Animation from Kingston University 2014, now also her job! Her style is bright and colourful with lots of texture, plants and animals. She draws a lot of inspiration from the Arctic landscape, flora and fauna. Jenny is based in Cardiff .
Website: http://lovlieillustration.com
Key themes
Nature
Empowering girls
Inclusive
Buy the book!
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Format: Paperback
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication date: 31 March 2022
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