Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen - Lisa Campbell Ernst

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

07 Jun 2007 07:00 PM

I was first drawn to this children's picture book by the title, and then by the picture on the front cover - a pig,dressed in a ballgown, wearing a crown and waving a flag. That's an attention-getting book if I ever saw one.

Her name is Sylvia Jean Connelly, and she lives in a make-believe world. She has a wide variety of costumes, suitable for whatever might come up. The perfect outfit to wear to the dentist would, of course, be a superhero costume, because superheros aren't afraid of the dentist. You should of course dress as a swan if you're going to ballet class, and if you're going to the movies, you should dress like a movie star. Her parents were very patient and understanding with their daughter's little quirk. I'll bet you never guess what she wore for Groundhog Day.

Well, it just so happened that the local grocery store (they didn't mention if it was the Piggly Wiggly or not) announced a costume party, with prizes for the best costume. Everyone was sure Sylvia Jean would win.

This put a little extra pressure on our drama queen to come up with the absolute best costume ever. It was all she could think about - what should she be? She even went to the library to do some research. It had to be the best costume in the universe! She didn't want anyone to know it was her.

She dug clear down to the bottom of all her costume trunks. She'd already worn everything in them! She was starting to get nervous. Finally she locked herself in her room, refusing to come out until she had come up with the perfect outfit. She wouldn't take phone calls or even come out for meals. Finally, it was time to leave for the party, and she came out of her room, a triumphant smile on her face. Her parents were shocked.

When she arrived at the party, no one knew who she was. It was the most perfect disguise of all - no disguise at all! She went as herself, a little girl pig in a simple dress. And everyone agreed that they hadn't known her at all - she had the best costume in the whole place.

(This book was published in 2005 by Dutton Children's Books and was illustrated by the author.)

Related Blogs:

Children's Picture Books by Kathy Mallat

The Napping House

Before You Were Born

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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