ABOUT THE BOOK
Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head
Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey
Illustrated by Diana Toledano
Ages 3-8 | 40 Pages
Publisher: Beach Lane Books | ISBN-13: 9781534451056
About the Book: Discover the true story of how a shy miner’s daughter became one of the most legendary costume designers in Hollywood in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography.
As a child in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith Head had few friends and spent most of her time dressing up her toys and pets and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She always knew she wanted to move somewhere full of people and excitement. She set her sights on Hollywood and talked her way into a job sketching costumes for a movie studio.
Did she know how to draw or sew costumes? No. But that didn’t stop her!
Edith taught herself and tirelessly worked her way up until she was dressing some of the biggest stars of the day, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers. She became the first woman to head a major Hollywood movie studio costume department and went on to win eight Academy Awards for best costume design—and she defined the style of an era.
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MY REVIEW
This delightful picture book biography of Edith Head will capture the imagination of readers. It traces her path to fame from when she was a child making outfits for her pets and costumes for friends, to her Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Edith’s solitary childhood in Nevada amusing herself dressing up horned toads and donkeys contrasts with her move to Los Angeles in high school and her love of visiting the movie theater. It seems inevitable that she would find a way to be a part of the magic on screen.
Toledano’s illustrations incorporate textile patterns within the costumes and the dollhouse furnishings, but also in unexpected places such as the roofs of buildings in Searchlight, Nevada and the awnings of LA shops. The images also show that Edith’s career was not an overnight success, sharing the disaster of the melting candy costumes described in the text with comical effect. Back matter includes photos of Edith at work along with a few of her costume design sketches and more details of her amazing accomplishments. Perfect for a biography unit, an introduction to careers that have an artistic focus, or for any young movie aficionados who will appreciate the care and dedication Edith used in her work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Jeanne lives in Northern California.
Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Diana Toledano is an illustrator, writer, and educator. She is also a Pisces who loves children’s books, patterns, and dancing her heart out. Originally from Spain, Diana (pronounced the Spanish way: dee-ah-na) grew up in Madrid where she studied art history and illustration. Now she lives in San Francisco with her husband and two fluffy cats. Her mixed media art seeks to capture the magic of the ordinary. Diana’s product designs, picture books, board books, and chapter books have been published and sold all over the world. Diana also teaches workshops for kids and adults. She enjoys doing school visits and speaking at conferences.
Learn more at Diana-Toledano.com.
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