Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Title: Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author and Illustrator: Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age group: 2-5 years old

I think this book is very cute and whimsical. I also like that it has an underlining lesson of always be yourself no matter what others say which is a good thing to teach younger kids.

Summary:

In the beginning Ella Sarah knows what she wants to wear today and is very specific she says I want to wear “pink polka dot pants, dress with orange and green flowers, purple and blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat.” But her mom says her choice is too dressy and recommends blue dress with matching socks like hers. But Ella refuses and repeats what she wants again what she wants to wear she says pink polka dot pants, dress with orange and green flowers, purple and blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat. Then her father says it is too fancy and recommends a yellow T-shirt with white shorts and tennis shoes more masculine like him. But she refuses and repeats again what she wants to wear and begins to grow more angry. Then her big sister said that her outfit is too silly and recommends she wear her overalls that are too small for her and her old boots. But Ella says NO! She wants to wear what she wants to wear and yells this! Then she goes back to her room and puts on her outfit with her pink polka dot pants, her dress with orange and green flowers, her purple and blue striped socks, her yellow shoes and red hat. Then she looks in the mirror and thinks her outfit was just right and so did her friends who were also wearing their silly outfits and then they had a tea party.

I believe I could use this in my classroom if it was for a group of younger students like kindergarten but I don’t know about reading this to older grades because the content is very little and what it stands for doesn’t really apply to them much anymore.

The appropriate grade level for this book would be Pre-K-1st because it is a very easy to read book with very few words to a page. Also this subject is only probably relatable to younger grades, so the older grades probably wouldn’t enjoy reading it as much.

If I used this book it would be in a unit about how to take care of yourself, like brushing your teeth and how to tie shoes and more. I would also add a fun little activity to go with the read aloud, where the students would have a paper doll coloring sheet and they would be able to color whatever outfit they wanted on it and then they will write why they choose that outfit.

HAVE FUN READING!💙-Lacy