10,000 Dresses

10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert is about a child named Bailey who was born a boy but sees herself as a girl and has plans to be a dress designer. Bailey's family doesn't want to talk about dresses or the fact that he sees himself as a she. If he'll just shut up and put up the problem will go away. Except it doesn't and fortunately for Bailey's sake, there is a dress designer down the street who is willing to support her dreams.

It's a book that was on my wishlist and I probably heard about it from the I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? blog. I honestly don't recall for sure. But we live in the Bay Area and Ewert is a local author.

I read 10,000 Dresses to both my children. Neither are gender confused but neither is exactly conventional in their boyishness or girlishness. They have nearly identical likes and dislikes except one is a girl and one is a boy. They sat and listened to the book and when I was done they began debating Bailey's gender. In the end though (when they couldn't decide) they decided that it didn't matter, but what did, was that Bailey's parents were mean. Dressmaking or wearing shouldn't be just a girl thing, they decided. ( )

This is a story about Bailey who identifies as being female. Bailey’s family does not support her dream of wearing dresses because she was born a boy. At the end, Bailey finds a friend that accepts her choice. In my classroom, I would like to promote all types of multiculturalism including GLBT. This is an appropriate book that I could use to do so. ( )

Bailey is a boy who dreams of beautiful dresses that she wants to wear. This story is aimed at acceptance of children who might be struggling with gender identity. Bailey's dress dreams feature a different dress each time (a dress made of flowers or another one made of crystals). Not everyone accepts that Bailey wants to be a girl and wear dresses though. Illustrations are done in bright primary colors with sharp lines that make them stand out as if each item had been cut from magazines. The overall effect is fun, colorful, and vibrant. Third graders will more than likely be able to read this book to themselves, but younger children will need the book read to them. Words are simple, medium large, and in multiple colors in this picture book. Kids who are struggling with their gender identity, especially boys who like girl things, will like this book. Highly Recommended. ( )

Sexist family members make a dress-loving, female-identified kid pretty miserable. While I appreciated the message, somehow I didn't love the story. The ending -- where the older girl says the young protagonist is the best girl she knows -- really annoyed me. "Best" girl? I'm not a fan of the idea that someone needs to be the "best" or "better than" to have their identity affirmed. Or that presenting gender by wearing and making dresses makes you the "best" girl. ( )

Bailey wants to make beautiful dresses - “dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows.” But Bailey’s family is sure she shouldn’t. Her mom asks "What are you talking about?" her dad gets angry and tells her "Don't ever mention dresses again." Her brother threatens "That's gross.... Get out of here before I kick you." But Bailey doesn’t feel like a boy. She feels like a girl and she has a creative vision (ten thousand visions, really) to express. No matter how many times she hears “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” or "You're a boy." Boys don't wear dresses !...that’s that!” Bailey still dreams about what she wants. It’s bad enough that no one understands her and that people seem so upset, but Bailey can’t even fully escape into the fantasy of fashion and beauty she dreams of because she doesn’t know how to sew. Then Bailey makes a friend, an older neighbor girl named Laurel who has a knack for making things and is looking for ideas. Together they embark on the first dress and into a world of collaboration and affirmation for Bailey. You get the sense that this one victory isn’t going to fix everything but that Bailey gains some control and self-expression and that will help her thrive.

The author of 10,000 DressesMarcus Ewert, knows how much need there is for a story to help kids who don't fit gender norms. As a teenager he felt isolated (although he did have RuPaul for a pen pal!) and when he left home he threw himself headlong into the world of gay cultural icons. Two of his boyfriends were William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, he graced the cover of Pansy Division albums and he starred in films by directors Gus Van Sant and Sadie Benning. In an interview with EdgeBoston Ewert talks about how self-protective he was when young:

“Or at least I honestly don’t think I would have survived outside of my bubble, though--I think I would have killed myself. As it was, by the time I hit puberty, I had really acute social anxiety. I was deathly afraid of other teenagers. Just going to the mall was agonizing. I was so sure that roving bands of teens would see me, spot my gayness, and come attack me. This never happened to me--I was never even jeered at--but I lived in mortal fear of it all the same.”

As librarians I think it is important that we be aware how much impact the inclusion of a single book within our collections can have for a parent or child like this who acutely needs to see themselves reflected in the external world. This is the first picture book with a transgender protagonist. Although this isn’t perfect (some of the cut paper art is a bit too stiff and flat, with expressions that change little from page to page) it is overall a nicely done fairy tale about self-acceptance and the power of creativity to elevate and save. In the same interview Ewart says:

“So, this book is equally about what happens when you have these beautiful dreams, or visions, or ideas/ideals, and the people around you absolutely don’t want to hear about it. Which--you know--happens a lot in the real world. And then, on the flipside, the story shows what happens when you finally do find someone who’s inspired by you, how wonderful that is.”

It would be a mistake to think that this book would appeal only to a small segment of the population. On the contrary, most kids in the picture book audience age range are fascinated by gender and gender roles. They are likely going to be exposed to gender binaries, homophobia and transphobia before they exit grade school, but there is little likelihood that they will come across many books to counter the prevailing attitudes. As Angie Manfredi writes in the journal Young Adult Library Services: “inclusion of titles with LGBTQ content allows librarians to familiarize students of any sexual orientation with the fact that the library has a large selection of titles that can speak directly to their experiences.” Any public library would do well to include 10,000 Dresses as it presents an opportunity for discussion for those who seek one. The urge to create and the feeling of being misunderstood are both things any child can relate to. And for the parent or child who comes to the library specifically looking for a work like this it is a comfort to know that there is now a book to give them.

Ewert, Marcus. 10,000 Dresses. Illus. Rex Ray. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2008. Print.

Melloy, Kilian. “Marcus Ewert Talks Trans-kid Book: ’10,000 Dresses’ Breaks New Ground.” EdgeBoston.. EDGE Publications Inc., Oct. 20 2008. Web. Mar 21 2010.

Manfredi, Angie. "Accept the Universal Freak Show." Young Adult Library Services. 7. 4 (2009): 26-31. Print. ( )