I'm ALL Dressed!
Just Being Me #4
by Robie H. Harris
Illustrated by Nicole Hollander
In I'm ALL Dressed!, a little boy reluctantly lets his parents dress him to go to
grandpa's birthday party. He proudly puts on his mittens and snow boots by himself. Now
he's bundled up and ready to go! The little boy waits for mommy and daddy to get ready.
He waits and waits. The wait is too long, and the clothes are too hot! His parents find
him undressed just as they are ready. This time, the little boy refuses their help and
gets dressed all by himself. With a sweatshirt on his legs and sweatpants on his arms,
he makes more unusual clothing combinations. He finishes with a shout "I'm ALL dressed!"
Will his parents redress him the right way?
Parents can certainly relate to this scenario. Children want to dress themselves except
the combinations or choices usually reflect the opposite of what parents want. The dynamics
of the situation are explained in "What's Going On?" by Dr. Linda C. Mayes. A step in a
child's independence begins with refusing a parent's help in dressing. Dressing without
help also allows children to show a different style or uniqueness from other family members.
Parents need to balance responsibility for making the child safe with responsiveness towards
their child's uniqueness and growth.
Author Robie H. Harris portrays a stage in a child's growth with humor and kindness.
The illustrations show bright colors and fun actions. Although this step of independence
can be frustrating, parents can learn to embrace this stage. Children will enjoy the book's
humor and will relate to the boy's feelings and actions. I love that the story is told
through the child's perspective. I enjoyed I'm All Dressed! as I remembered all of
my son's outfits supplemented with cowboy boots. Be prepared, and proud, for your little
one's exclamation of "I'm all dressed too!" |
The Book |
Little Brown for Young Readers / TimeWarner |
November 2005 |
Hardcover |
0-316-10948-7 |
Children's Fiction - 3-6 years old |
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Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Jennifer Akers |
Reviewed 2005 |
NOTE: |
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