Illustrated by Malene Reynolds Laugesen2008
Rating: 4 (I was surprised by my reaction)
Endpapers: Bright pink (Ashley would love it)
The multi-generation, many-siblinged Abraham family is putting the final touches on a gorgeous wedding gown. It's not just any wedding gown - it's one that will be presented as a possiblity to the princess. If chosen (from many), the Abrahams will become official embroiderers to the princess, and they'll be saved from the poorhouse. But a tiny soil is found, one that they are unable to remove. They change it into a very small emboidered squirrel - the princess' favorite - which ultimately helps them wint the competition.
I thought this story would be a complete fairy tale (well, it was, in a way), but it was based on a family's true story during the reign of Queen Victoria in England. (And there were sixteen Abraham children, with all of them putting a stitch into the final product.) Sure, it's a little corny, but it's told in a lovely way, and the illustratons are great - within a box that takes up 3/4 of the double-page spread, with the text in the other quarter. Great vocabulary, snazzy verbs, with a few surprises here and there - a totally satisfying read.
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