Review by Booklist Review
The title of this picture-book biography of Ann Cole Lowe has a slightly frivolous ring to it, but readers will quickly see her story is one of determination and significant achievement. Lowe loved sewing from an early age and went on to become a sought-after fashion designer in New York City. She didn't let the obstacles she faced including being isolated at her segregated design school, because life wasn't fair stop her, and she opened her own salon in the 1920s, becoming the first African American couturiere. Her most famous commission was for Jacqueline Kennedy's elaborate wedding dress (described as ivory silk taffeta, yet curiously rendered in pink), but society women and film stars, such as Olivia de Havilland, also wore her one-of-a-kind creations. Freeman's digital artwork utilizes saturated colors, patterns, and textures, fitting for portraying a woman whose life was immersed in fabric and design. After an extensive yet largely unsung career, Lowe was finally honored as an Official Couturiere in 1961, and this biography helps put her in the spotlight where she belongs.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The twin themes of injustice and hard work are woven into Blumenthal's (The Blue House Dog) vivid biography of African-American designer Ann Cole Lowe, who learned to sew at a young age, took over her late mother's business, and went on to design gowns that included dresses for Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy's wedding. Accented with buttons and lace, Freeman's (the Nikki and Deja series) illustrations are attentive to the shape and design of the clothing worn and designed by Lowe, and they glow with a honeyed light that underscores the designer's persistence in the face of racial prejudice. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Virtually unknown to all who admired her work, Ann Cole Lowe was an African American designer of one-of-a-kind dresses that were worn at high society functions in the 1920s through the 1960s. She began sewing as a child under the tutelage of her mother and grandmother, taking over the family business at the age of 16. Lowe moved to New York City and attended a segregated design school, where she was forced to study alone. She was eventually able to save enough money from dress commissions to open her own salon in Manhattan. Here she catered to the elite, creating the dresses for Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland in 1947 and Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding to John F. Kennedy in 1953. Blumenthal celebrates Lowe's skill and artistic merit-the timelessness of her beautiful, iconic couture gowns. Freeman's gorgeous, colorful illustrations highlight the patterns of the cloth, the tools of the trade, and the emotions of Lowe's struggles and triumphs as a businesswoman. VERDICT A portrait of the determination and elegance of Ann Cole Lowe. Hand to kids who love fashion and history.-Jessica Cline, New York Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While the fashion world continues to recognize her work, many do not know the name Ann Cole Lowe. Blumenthal and Freeman have teamed up to place the spotlight on this African American designer. As a young child, Ann learned dressmaking from her mother and grandmother. When her mother died suddenly, sixteen-year-old Ann steadfastly continued the tradition, finishing an order for ball gowns her mother had begun for the Alabama governor's wife. Lowe proved to be an exceptionally talented dressmaker, eventually designing for some of America's most powerful families. With the repeated refrain, "Ann thought about what she could do, not what she couldn't change," Blumenthal encapsulates the designer's resolve. To ensure the line doesn't imply passivity, Blumenthal includes an anecdote about Lowe's insistence on walking through the front door, rather than the workers' entrance, of a Newport mansion to deliver Jacqueline Bouvier's now-famous wedding dress. Freeman has filled the pages with a plethora of vivacious patterns and saturated colors, fitting for a book about a woman so gifted with fabric. The one (intentional) exception is the illustration on the page where the text reads, "But it was 1917, and Ann had to study in a separate classroom, all alone, because she was African American": here the empty white space that surrounds Lowe evokes a palpable sense of isolation. Audiences will take pleasure both in the vibrancy of the dresses and in the dedication of the couture artist who created them. Appended with suggestions for further reading and an author's note. eboni njoku (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Society ladies and screen actresses made Ann Cole Lowe's gowns famous, but no one credited their African-American designer.The great-granddaughter of a slave, Ann grew up in Alabama sewing with her mother. When she was just 16, her mother died, but Ann kept on with the work, finishing a gown for the wife of the governor. She was able to attend design school in New York City in 1917, albeit sitting alone in a segregated classroom. As the proprietor of her own business, Ann was in much demand with very wealthy and high-profile women. Olivia de Havilland accepted her 1947 Oscar wearing an Ann Cole Lowe gown. In 1953, a rich socialite named Jaqueline Bouvier married a Massachusetts senator named John F. Kennedy wearing one of Lowe's couture creations. Lowe worked hard and eventually began to receive long-overdue recognition. Freeman's crisply colorful artwork enlivens the clear and accessible narration. The endpapers featuring pictures of Lowe's runway-perfect gowns and fabric swatches in the page design will delight young fashionistas, while the vignette of Ann in a classroom sitting by herself against a solid white background speaks volumes. Kudos to a title that recognizes a previously uncelebrated African-American woman of achievement. (author's note) (Picture book/biography. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
