Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by rebecca_oneil
The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams
3.0
The boring and lonely life of 12-year-old Dennis, who still mourns his mom's leaving and his dad's depression, is lightened only by soccer playing and (a more recent discovery) a love of women's fashion. His dad forbids his reading of Vogue magazine, but new friend Lisa pushes him to play dress-up, and that is how Dennis ends up at school as "Denise," Lisa's French exchange student, in high heels, makeup, and a sequin dress. That is, until a passing soccer ball can't be resisted and his cover is blown.
Okay, so I'm going to dissect this book far more than anyone should for such a quick read! As with Johnny in [b:Debbie Harry sings in French|2207435|Debbie Harry Sings in French|Meagan Brothers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255720270s/2207435.jpg|2213209], this book makes a clear point that cross-dressing doesn't equal gay. In fact, both Johnny's girlfriend and Dennis's love of soccer seem pushed heavy-handedly to the forefront for that very reason. Similarly, both boys' personal acceptance of their newfound love of cross-dressing occurs almost overnight, as do their gal pals' support and parent/guardians' journey from anger to acceptance. Do some girls just long for someone to dress up? Do some boys just long for a reprieve from boring men's clothes? (I gotta admit, if I were a guy, I too would feel stifled by my limited fashion choices.) And do some parents turn to whole-hearted acceptance after just a brief time to think about things?
In spite of some sugar-coating and simplifying, I do think both of these books are important for adding shades of gray to the view of gender roles and sexuality as seen through children's literature. The main problem I had with this book was trying to figure out the intended audience. Dennis is 12, but the book is written in a very juvenile style. This works during comic moments, of which there are many, but Dennis's thoughts and experiences are more those of a middle schooler. He's not just a free-spirited, creative-dressing child playing pretend; he's looking for acceptance from friends and family for taking a stand and staking out a bit of his own developing identity. But then there are the illustrations and cover by Quentin Blake, which add much personality and expression to the simple text, but further muddy the target age range. Still, it's a valuable book that I hope will be read.
Favorite quotes:
"She was so utterly gorgeous that probably even the hearts of squirrels missed a beat when she walked by."
"You look amazing. And it's all about confidence. If you believe it, everyone else will too."
Picture on p. 201 -- if you want to see a visual rendition of the expression "helpless with pride," it's here. Props to Quentin Blake.
Okay, so I'm going to dissect this book far more than anyone should for such a quick read! As with Johnny in [b:Debbie Harry sings in French|2207435|Debbie Harry Sings in French|Meagan Brothers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255720270s/2207435.jpg|2213209], this book makes a clear point that cross-dressing doesn't equal gay. In fact, both Johnny's girlfriend and Dennis's love of soccer seem pushed heavy-handedly to the forefront for that very reason. Similarly, both boys' personal acceptance of their newfound love of cross-dressing occurs almost overnight, as do their gal pals' support and parent/guardians' journey from anger to acceptance. Do some girls just long for someone to dress up? Do some boys just long for a reprieve from boring men's clothes? (I gotta admit, if I were a guy, I too would feel stifled by my limited fashion choices.) And do some parents turn to whole-hearted acceptance after just a brief time to think about things?
In spite of some sugar-coating and simplifying, I do think both of these books are important for adding shades of gray to the view of gender roles and sexuality as seen through children's literature. The main problem I had with this book was trying to figure out the intended audience. Dennis is 12, but the book is written in a very juvenile style. This works during comic moments, of which there are many, but Dennis's thoughts and experiences are more those of a middle schooler. He's not just a free-spirited, creative-dressing child playing pretend; he's looking for acceptance from friends and family for taking a stand and staking out a bit of his own developing identity. But then there are the illustrations and cover by Quentin Blake, which add much personality and expression to the simple text, but further muddy the target age range. Still, it's a valuable book that I hope will be read.
Favorite quotes:
"She was so utterly gorgeous that probably even the hearts of squirrels missed a beat when she walked by."
"You look amazing. And it's all about confidence. If you believe it, everyone else will too."
Picture on p. 201 -- if you want to see a visual rendition of the expression "helpless with pride," it's here. Props to Quentin Blake.