Ella gets dressed

Everyone who meets Ella on the sidewalk complements her matching floral collar, pink harness, and pink leash. You all know how I love to accessorize, so Ella walks in style :-) Ella is used to wearing her harness and leash now, so each morning she comes over to me and lifts her left paw so I can put it on. I call this process "getting dressed," so Ella knows that we're going on a walk when I tell her, "Ella, let's go get dressed!" Imagine my delight when I was searching for a Caldecott honor book to read for class this week and came across Margaret Chodos-Irvine's Ella Sarah Gets Dressed. Anyone who has a toddler or has ever met a toddler will find this book hilarious, since it is about a little girl who is determined to choose her own outfit. From the very beginning, Ella Sarah knows that she wants to wear "her pink polka-dot pants, dress with orange-and-green flowers, purple-and-blue striped socks, yellow shoes, and red hat." Despite her family members' warnings that this outfit is far too outlandish for an ordinary day, Ella Sarah insists on wearing it. In the end, Ella Sarah is joined at a tea party by her friends, all of whom have also chosen... colorful outfits of their own. The illustrations are very vibrant and help bring this joyful little book to life. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and Ella was happy to hear that she's not the only girl who knows how to put together a fabulous outfit!