Book Review + Giveaway: Dressing Up the Stars, The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Book Description: 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.

My Thoughts: From a dusty desert town in Nevada to the dazzle of Hollywood, Dressing Up the Stars tells the story of Edith Head, the famed costume designer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With a love of dressing up her animals companions and a penchant for movies, Edith moved to California and began her work as a teacher. When asked to take on an art class, Edith was introduced to a whole new world that eventually lead her to costume design.

This picture book biography focuses on the early life of Edith Head. As a shy, introverted child, Edith spent more time with the animals around her desert home than the children in her neighborhood. As her own, distinct personality emerged, she was drawn to dressing up her pets with bits and bobs. The story credits her ambition and perseverance that, despite having no formal training, lead her to the success she found. Dressing Up the Stars takes readers behind the scenes of Hollywood in a feel-good story that shares one woman’s journey to achieving her dream.

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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.

Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head!

Five (5) winners receive: A set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Click here for the entry form: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/2022/08/dressing-up-the-stars-the-story-of-movie-costume-designer-edith-head-awareness-tour Good luck!

Activity Kit: Download the FREE Activity Kit that supports the story – Dressing Up the Stars 4-page-activity-kit!