What really stands out to me about this graphic novel is Jen Wang's impeccable use of paneling and her incredibly dynamic and emotive style. Tensions arise as Frances tries to reconcile wanting to help Sebastian and keep his secret with wanting to further her career. He happens across an up an coming haute couture seamstress, Frances, who agrees to make dresses for him to wear in secret. Since we're focusing on the art, all I will say plot wise is that this is about a young prince, Sebastian, who enjoys dresses and whose parents are trying to find him a marriage match. Not only is the story exquisite, expanding on all of the wonderful fairy tale tropes with which audiences are familiar, but the visual storytelling is truly remarkable. Set in Paris at the turn of the century, this graphic novel is part realistic fiction, part fairy tale and wholly delightful. Ages 12 up.The first of our Mock Caldecott selections up for review is Jen Wang's 'The Prince and the Dressmaker'. It's all but certain to deliver grins, gasps, and some happy tears. Frances's daring designs shine in Wang's elegantly drafted and gorgeously colored illustrations, and the irreverently anachronistic approach to the setting provides a lovely and humorous counterbalance to the seriousness of the prince's situation ('Prepare to get your lady groove on,' insists the burly, bearded king, who is eager for Sebastian to be betrothed). 'It's weird, I don't feel like Prince Sebastian could lead a nation into battle, but Lady Crystallia could,' admits the prince, inspiring Frances to create an armor-themed dress for their next midnight escapade. The relationship between Frances and Sebastian both as a conflicted prince and the glamorous Crystallia glows Frances understands that Sebastian and Crystallia are two halves of a brilliant whole.

Despite Frances's connection with Sebastian, she worries that being part of the prince's secret is limiting her dreams of finding success as a designer. She soon discovers that her employer is none other than Prince Sebastian, who wants her to create dazzling gowns for Lady Crystallia, Sebastian's alter ego, who quickly becomes a fashion icon. After creating a scandalous dress for an attendee of Prince Sebastian's 16th birthday party, Frances an overlooked seamstress with big dreams accepts a position as personal seamstress for a mystery client. A talented seamstress and a prince with a secret will win readers' hearts in Wang's utterly charming graphic novel, which is set in a playfully tweaked version of 19th-century Paris and highlights identity, acceptance, and fashion.

The prince and the dressmaker sebastian