Parrots, Pugs, and Pixie Dust Review

We received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: February 3rd, 2020

Written By: Deborah Blumenthal
Illustrated By: Masha D’Yans

Cover Copy

Growing up in Budapest, Hungary, Judith Lieberman was inspired by her father, who always brought back special handbags for her mother from his travels. During World War II, with her family facing persecution as they were Jewish, Judith got a job making purses and used her imagination to craft fantastical handbags to escape her difficult life. Using whatever scraps she could find, she’d produce her bags at night.

Her passion for fashion is full bloom, Judith immigrated to America after the war. Here, she found her vision for her designs in preening peacocks, fanciful frogs donning gilded crowns, burgers and fires, and even layer cake. She turned the ordinary into extraordinary handbags, designing creations unlike anything the fashion world had ever seen before.

This is a moving and impassioned picture book about the iconic handbag designer Judith Lieberman that will embolden young readers to unlock their imagination and inspire the world with their own creativity!

Review

As I’ve been saying lately over on IG, Madeline is really enjoying Non Fiction titles right now, and this one she especially enjoyed because she also happens to love things that glitter. And bags. Glittery bags? Yes, please! I love being able to show my girls new and interesting professions they probably didn’t even know existed. (Well, the younger one is 1, so that applies to basically every profession). I also really enjoy reading these, too, because then I learn something new along with them. I love it for the origin story and learning how people lived their lives and how those lives shaped their creation of whatever they became famous for. This one especially, because it has that little dose of encouragement in showing how a seemingly ruinous accident can bring out something amazing with a little ingenuity and imagination. It’s a well illustrated reminder that even when things go wrong, great things can still be around the corner. I have a feeling that’s why Madeline enjoys this one. This was a lovely balance of backstory and focus on the creations themselves. The pages weren’t overwhelmed by words, so there wasn’t any getting bored before turning a page. And the artwork was really interesting and visually engaging. It did well to set the mood of the particular page and to bring a sort of magic to it.

Kid Ratings

• Font Readability: 10/10
• Kid Engagement: 9/10
• Mommy Engagement: 9/10