Anne Alexander's The Pink Dress Has Been Reprinted (Book Review)

All I can say is it is about time. Or maybe woo hoo. Whoopee! Yay! Three cheers. Hip hip hooray!

Words cannot express the excitement I and many other women felt when they discovered that Anne Alexander's coming-of-age novel has finally, FINALLY, finally been reprinted!

If I had a bigger picture, I would share it in an attempt to convey the excitement I felt when I discovered this novel had been reprinted.

If you are just discovering that fact, believe me, it is true. I purchased my copy recently and finally was able to read this book, which I first heard of in around 2009 when I sold my only vintage copy to a very excited buyer on eBay. Unfortunately, my copy was sold and gone to the buyer before I thought to read it and once I discovered how popular it was with some of you I really did want to read it.

The original book was written and released in 1959 and I now know some of you read it and read it and read it again.  It was a hugely popular success in school libraries and you thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I know that many of you have been waiting for this day since you first read the story a long time ago. The scarcity of copies of the original volume and the price at which those original volumes were selling put the book out of reach. Spending $500 to $1,000 on a children's chapter book was and is out of the realm of reason for most of us.

THE STORY?

It follows a grade nine girl's adventures in high school as she gives up on her good friends in an attempt to be in the "in" crowd. Growing up is always a difficult process and I believe this book to be a realistic version of how some teens would have thought and behaved in the 1950s.  I am also sure that pre-teens and teens have these same concerns today though they likely transpire in a slightly different manner.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?

Yes, I would. Some of you who have waited will need no recommendation from me. This book is exactly as you remember it and I know that you are thrilled that it has been reprinted. It is a lovely story, a sweet and innocent romance with some very nice surprises.

It was written for middle-school readers so it is an easy but lovely read for an adult. As the author's daughter says in the foreword, "The original middle-school readers and I are grandmothers now...We are pleased that our daughters and granddaughters love the book as much as we did. I bet you'll love it, too." I am not sure if she was talking to me or not but I did love it and I am planning to reread it soon, something I almost never do. Will you be reading The Pink Dress?

You can find the reprinted edition of The Pink Dress in paperback and Kindle as well as the original hardcover version of the book on Amazon by clicking right here. You can read more about the original printing and about the women who loved this book on my page about the vintage book here.

I like the artwork, too. I think the publisher or artist did a good job of making the book look fresh and modern but still referencing the 1950s. What do you think? Do you like the new cover?  I suppose the other alternative would have been to recreate the original cover. That would have been a pleasing choice, too.

Happy Reading!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy your copy of The Pink Dress on Amazon.
Read more about the book.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

A Treasury of the World's Greatest Fairy Tales Vintage Book Review

Adapted by Helen Hyman, A Treasury of the World's Greatest Fairy Tales and A Second Treasury of the World's Greatest Fairy Tales are both beautiful hardcover books filled with some of the best fairy tales. Both the text and the pictures were created by three brothers and their publishing company in Italy under the name of Fratelli Fabbri Editori.

The stories are closer to the original story lines than they are the Disney versions. If you want to expose your children to fairy tales that are not defined by Disney, these books are worth considering.

Possibly more important to some individuals than the actual stories in this case are the detailed pictures. The images were so important to people who grew up with them that these books defined the way those fairy tales look in their minds. One reviewer says that for her they defined exactly what fairy tale princes, princesses, dwarves, ogres, and even some animals looked like.  Another says that the pictures in the book are more like paintings than they are pen-and-ink cartoons. 

Both of these treasuries are suitable for both girls and boys. They are not just princess stories but also include stories where the young male character is the hero.

Published in the 1970s and held dear by many adults who owned them when they were young, these treasuries are now out of print and in demand as people search for copies to share with their own families and with which to replace worn out volumes that they own. Unfortunately, the fact that they are vintage and out-of-print makes them slightly more expensive than the average new, modern fairy tale book.

The following fairy tales are included in the first volume of the World's Greatest Fairy Tales treasury:

• The Ugly Duckling
• Puss-in-Boots
• Hansel and Gretel
• The Wild Swans
• Seven in One Blow
• Snow White and Rose Red
• The Frog Prince
• The Three Little Pigs
• Rapunzel
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
• The Three Dwarfs in the Wood
• Prince Kamar and Princess Budur
• Hans in Luck
• The Three Musicians

The stories included in the second book, A Second Treasury of the World's Greatest Fairy Tales, are:

• Cinderella
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
• Sleeping Beauty
• Little Red Riding hood
• The Lion and the Carpenter
• Beauty and the Beast
• The Seven Ravens
• The Little Goldfish
• The Little Tin Soldier
• The Emperor's Nightingale
• Thumbelina
• The Three Hairs of the Ogre
• The Pied Piper

A Few Closing Thoughts from Readers

One fond reader says that the stories in these books are full of food for you and your child's imagination and that the words will stretch it farther. Another reader says that this was one of two things that he really loved when he was growing up. 

The Poisoned Martini says these books "have got to be the best illustrated collection of fairy tales." 

If you are searching for a copy of one or both of these books, you will find both of them on eBay by clicking right here.

Do you have a children's book that you remember fondly? Perhaps one that defined forever how a character looks in your mind?

Happy Reading!
Brenda


Quick Links:

New, used and vintage children's books in my eBay store.
The Pink Dress by Anne Alexander.
Controversial Anne of Green Gables book cover.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: