Elizabeth Jane Gets Dressed

For realistic fiction, I chose Elizabeth Jane Gets Dressed by Anne Tyrrell, illustrated by Caroline Castle. Published in 1990, this book is geared toward younger audiences, starting at three years old.

The story follows a young girl named Elizabeth Jane and her process of getting dressed. The story spans throughout the course of a week, and every day shows a different stage of her process. Elizabeth Jane starts the book naked, and does not want to get dressed. In her room, clothes are all around her, along with her stuffed animals, who are also naked. Day by day, Elizabeth Jane makes progress along with her stuffed animals. Finally, the last day, Elizabeth Jane dressed herself. The book includes the physical limitations of young children dressing themselves, like zipping, buttoning, and tying shoes, as well as the lack of motivation.

Throughout the book, Tyrrell uses rhymes to engage children in Elizabeth Jane's process. Castle's illustrations are light and fun, accurately portraying the struggles of toddlers getting dressed. As seen on the cover, Elizabeth Jane, along with her stuffed animal is finally dressed (and proud of herself!). However, she is wearing two different shoes, an undershirt over her dress, with a regular shirt underneath. Her stuffed animal is wearing the same thing.

In my preschool classroom, I would use this book to empower students to be responsible and proud of dressing themselves. This book also teaches that it is okay to ask for help if needed.