Review - Edie's Ensembles

Edie's Ensembles
by Ashley Spires
Date: 2014
Publisher: Tundra Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Edie is known for her great outfits and stylish flair. She and her best friend Andrew spend a lot of time playing dress-up. The school hall is their runway. Edie loves the compliments and whispers of admiration, so much so that she begins dressing in increasingly outrageous outfits to get even more attention. No outfit is too bizarre, no costume too flamboyant for Edie. She's so busy coming up with her newest eye-catching ensemble that she doesn't even have time for Andrew anymore ... until one day Edie creates an outfit so weird and so big and bulky that she gets stuck in the doorway. Will anyone notice that this budding fashionista is in trouble?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm surprised this has such a low rating on Goodreads. Maybe it doesn't play well to the "Look at me!!!" Instagram generation.

This is basically a cautionary tale. Edie loves fashion. She and her best friend, Andrew, spend hours playing dress-up. They come up with lots of funky ensembles for them to wear. But, rather disturbingly, it starts to become about how much attention those outfits are getting than it is about self-expression. Edie's ensembles get more and more outlandish, and Andrew kind of gets tossed to the wayside as she seeks more and more compliments and adulation. Eventually, though, the outfits get ridiculous, the kind of attention she's getting isn't positive (the other kids think she's a bit nuts), and it all culminates with one of the ensembles getting stuck in the doorway at school. Edie manages to extricate herself from it, but is forced to walk home in her underwear while evaluating her life choices. When she returns to school wearing a much more subdued outfit, she still gets attention... but for the right reasons.

I like the message this book has. It's not about what you wear, or how much attention you get; it's about what kind of person (and friend) you are. I think that's something that bears repeating today. It's easy to get caught up in "likes" and accolades, but the tide can turn really quickly. And then what are you left with?

The illustrations are pretty cute here. The characters are all little animals. Edie's a fawn, I think. I wasn't sure what Andrew was (until I read Over-Scheduled Andrew; it turns out he's a chickadee). The ensembles are pretty funny, especially toward the end. They were not practical at all! (I suppose Edie and Andrew's school doesn't have any sort of dress code.)

This is a cute book with an important message that's easily accessible to younger readers. I definitely recommend it.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5