Review Detail

PARKER DRESSES UP is the sweet story of 3 siblings (Parker, Ava, and Cash) who take advantage of a rainy day to play dress up. As they imagine what they can be, Cash is dressed as a chef but holding a hose. Ava tells him that he cannot have a hose, and he gets upset. Then their mother comes and they are reminded that you can more than one thing. Their play gets even cooler as they expand what they are pretending to be to be more than one thing.

What I loved: This is a really fun early reader with a great lesson about being whoever you want to be - unconstrained by what the role is "supposed" to look like. There are also fun themes around spending time with family and making the best of a rainy day. This will definitely inspire some play after seeing all the fun they are having. The illustrations are full of color and capture all the emotions of playtime with the 3 siblings.

The text is large and clear, which is great for learning readers, and the pages turn relatively quickly. The backmatter includes information about famous Black fashion designers, which adds an extra educational component and inspires children to begin to design their own outfits.

Final verdict: PARKER DRESSES UP is a charming early reader about all the fun of playing dress up, siblings, and a lesson about being whoever you want to be - even when it's more than one thing. Recommend for preschoolers and those who are just starting to read to share with caregivers.