The Prince and the Dressmaker

Product Information

Friendship grows between them, and then something else, but when Sebastian's secret threatens an amazing opportunity for Frances, things get complicated. It's a match made in Heaven—or isn't, since each can only enjoy the work of creating Lady Crystallia by hiding or disavowing who they are. This is all completely stupid, left field stuff that comes from exactly nowhere, suddenly, like heavy artillery. A graphic novel about thirteen-year-old Aster whose world decrees that boys will grow up to be shapeshifters while girls are raised to be witches.

THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER | Kirkus Reviews

As the above cover hints, The Prince and the Dressmakeris a prince-and-pauper fable about a process of artistic co-creation: the collaboration between a hard-working seamstress and designer, Frances, and a furtively cross-dressing prince, Sebastian, for whom Frances makes dresses. Other characters like Sebastian, Frances, Emile, Juliana, and Madame Aurelia aren't given last names. The left side of the screen of this enhanced e-book contains a full version of Macbeth, while the right side includes a performance of the dialogue shown (approximately 20 lines’ worth per page).It's a story of class envy, and satire (mainly of the upper class), but is also an exciting adventure that spawned hundreds of spinoffs.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang | Goodreads

It is Frances's skill and hard work that transform Prince into Lady; essentially, Crystallia is their joint work of art, with Frances as designer and Sebastian as model. A pairing of the text of the Scottish Play with a filmed performance, designed with the Shakespeare novice in mind. Crystallia shows up beneath Frances's window; the two embrace and Frances offers Crystallia her new designs. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens.While it takes Sebastian running away for them to change their minds, the king uses his power and authority to allow Lady Crystallia to star at Frances's fashion show and even wears one of Frances's designs.

The Prince and the Dressmaker Using Graphic Novels in Education: The Prince and the Dressmaker

J. Shapiro of the New York Public Library wrote that the book does not have any explicitly trans characters, but that the need for self-expression by Sebastian might be relatable to those who worry that the world would "shun who they are. The art style was colorful and cute and atmospheric, which is exactly what I enjoy in a graphic novel. This is my first comic book / graphic novel in the past 3 years and it doesn't disappoint me at all!Not that Sebastian is transgender, he's not, but he has to try and 'pass as a woman' because obviously if he didn't things would be much, much worse. Their clandestine partnership grants Sebastian a chance to live more freely, though only for brief, risky episodes, and Frances a chance to practice her art, but only anonymously. With inviting illustrations and a relatable story line, this tender tale of friendship and identity is sure to delight even readers who aren’t fans of the graphic novel format.