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“This boy does.“

This is a perfect story about the courage and creativity it takes to be different. All ages could benefit from the reading of this story!

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress is a children's picture book written by Christine Baldacchino and illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant. The illustrations bring this story to life. The title refers to the color tangerine which is very clear to children what type of color that is by looking at the illustrations. Many of the other colors throughout the pictures are dull to make the color orange the star of the book. Very cute story!

This story can be used in the classroom not only for its important message that anyone can like anything no matter if its a “girl thing“ or a “boy thing“ but it also allows students to understand the use of color and how everything that Morris cherished was the same color and hue.

This book was illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant who did an excellent job with the reoccurring use of the tangerine color that is so important to Morris for many different reasons. Because the pages are more muted tones it allows for that contrast of the tangerine color to really pop on each page.

“When he thought of all the kids in his class and all the mean things they did and said, his tummy ached for real.“ This quote just shows that how words and actions are really powerful.

I think that this is a great book to introduce diversity and that it is okay to like different things. I also think it's really important to use as an educator to young children and adolescent because it talks about how important it is to be confident in what you like.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino. 2014. Picture Book. Stonewall Honor Book in Children's and Young Adult Literature and American Library Associations Rainbow list. This books color is very vibrant snd shows the reader what the dress means to him. The orange color is soft and stand out as the lines around are harsh. Think this represents conformity and how Morris doesn't conform to this norm.

This story tells us about a little boy who loves using his imagination. Morris loves his classroom's dress-up center -he loves wearing the tangerine dress. But the children in Morris's class don't understand. They tease and taunt him until he does not want to come to school anymore. After spending time at home with his cat, he returns to school wearing the dress with pride.

Morris is a little boy that loves to use his imagination. He dreams about having space adventures, paints beautiful pictures, and sings the loudest during circle time. Most of all Morris loves his classroom's dress-up center, specifically the tangerine dress. His classmates don't understand though, they say that dresses are for girls only. This is a story displaying the creativity and courage that it takes to be different.

Fabulous illustrations in this one! Morris gets made fun of at school for how much he likes playing dress up, but eventually the other kids decide it‘s more fun to play with him than to miss out. #BBRCPictureBookLetterM @LibrarianRyan

This is a really great book for teaching acceptance to small children. Morris has his own reasons for loving the tangerine dress and the other students have a hard time looking past the fact that “boys don‘t wear dresses”. I loved that my daughter asked questions and we were able to have a discussion about boys and girls liking the same things and accepting people for who they are. 4🌟 thanks to @LibrarianRyan as this #litsyfind is from her review

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a wonderful story of a little boy who likes to play, and create art, and has a large imagination. And he likes to wear a tangerine dress from the dress up box. There are classmates who make fun of him, or will not let him join their games. But Morris is resilient. He decides that he can create his own play, and others can join him.

👇🏻for additional comments
GR for full review!

I don't know if this has come across anyone else's radar, but I wanted to bring it up. There is currently a petition for Orange County Public Library in Iowa to label all their LGBTQ books and refrain from buying more without the input of the residents. One of the books is tagged. I give it 5⭐️ and the review is on GR.

I know myself and other #litsyLibrarians feel for what this library is going through. I and many of us support you! 👇🏻

Though Morris never stops wearing the titular dress, we see how his classmates' words and actions affect his emotional wellbeing. Thankfully, he continues to be himself and wins some classmates over. 🏳️‍🌈

Up next!

I read this to my 4-year old, who loves trucks and Star Wars and sparkles and princesses. He's had plenty of negative comments when he wears his princess dress-up out in public, and he understood this story. I liked that Morris didn't try to change the mean kids - he just did his own thing, and stood up for himself without anger. Sometimes the kids changed, sometimes they didn't. Just like life. And the illustrations are terrific.