The Hundred Dresses By Eleanor Estes

It’s often been said that history repeats itself. Examples of this include war, protests, or even something more lighthearted like fashion trends. In other words, although something is from sixty years ago it can still be proven relevant. The Hundred Dresses written by Eleanor Estes is just another example of many that show the ideas and problems in 1944 are very similar to those in 2017. This book in particular maintains its popularity because of the illustrations, the relatability, and most importantly the lesson it sends to people of all ages.
To begin, as you take the book into your hands it’s almost impossible not to admire the beautiful pastel colors that were chosen by the illustrator, Louis Slobodkin. He uses a variation of colors that appeal to children and also relates to the multiple colors of the hundred dresses that Wanda owns. You can see a clear relation to the art in this book and the drawings of the dresses that takes place
The story focuses on Wanda Petronski, a girl from Poland who has moved to America with her family. She does not have much money and because of this she does not have many clothes. When school begins Wanda finds herself to be the victim of bullying due to the fact she only has one dress. Peggy, Maddie, and the other girls constantly ridicule Wanda for the fact she only has one dress. Wanda takes it upon herself to tell them she did not have one, but one hundred dresses. This however only results in more teasing since the girls have no proof of these one hundred dresses she speaks about. Bullying like this is still an issue all over the world for young children and even adults. There are plenty children in this country in Wanda’s position. Whether they’re immigrants, struggling with money, or have other problems going on, this is an everyday situation. Though this was written more than sixty years ago, children can look at Wanda and see