A Dress for the Moon
Linda Wolfsgruber
Greystone Kids

The full moon looks down and sees beautifully dressed people enjoying a walk in its light. “How I would love to have a dress like that too,” thinks the moon to itself and proceeds to call out for a tailor or fashion designer. Along drives a tailor cum designer who introduces himself to Moon and offers his help. After taking measurements and working away in his studio for a week, it’s time to take the dress to Moon eager to see how it looks. What he finds though is that the dress no longer fits his client because the full moon has become a half moon. Alterations must be made.

The lunar cycle continues and the tailor keeps having to make further adjustments to the dress

until a mere fabric strip remains. This the tailor takes to Moon but now the expanding customer makes the tailor a tad annoyed. Back he goes to make one last adjustment to the dress, instructing Moon not to lose or gain weight in the meantime.

Come their next meeting both client and craftsman come to a vital realisation: when we are ourselves, that is when we shine brightest.
An unusual story that reminds us that we need to recognise our own and other people’s intrinsic value. Linda Wolfsgruber’s exquisite collage style illustrations with their enchanting details make a great counterpart to the text, which works well as a read aloud, so long as the adult sharer allows plenty of time for listeners to peruse the patterned scenes.