Pistes d'exploration

Discuss the idea of hand-me-down clothes vs. new clothes. How do you feel about wearing clothes from other people or your family? Is it important to recycle old clothes?

List the advantages and disadvantages of having new clothes vs. old clothes. Use a graphic organizer to help. Share your ideas with a friend.

 Imagine you were given an outfit or costume. Describe the outfit and write about the person who wore it and where they went while wearing it. 

Talk about hand-me-down clothes. Where do they come from (family/friends/store)? How do you feel when you wear these clothes? What do you do with your own clothes when you have finished with them?

Make a class list of boys’ and girls’ clothing.

Write a story about second-hand clothes that were given to you. Describe the clothes and the person who had them before you. 

Make a poster to advertise an Old Clothes Exchange Day for the students in your class. What will you bring? Describe the circumstances under which you wore these clothes.

A Flock of Shoes, Edie's Ensembles, Why Should I Recycle?, What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World

Mots-clés

Picture book , brothers and sisters , clothing , consumerism , imagination , recycling , stories in rhyme

Commentaire descriptif

The author employs light-hearted rhyming verse in this original tribute to used clothes which features an exuberant girl imagining the secret mysteries and histories of all the different articles of clothing in her midst. Mixed-media images layered with whimsical lines and a soft colour palate all woven against a background of faded fabric patterns give this book a vintage look, in addition to being a lively read-aloud experience that will encourage children to appreciate their siblings' hand-me-downs. The ingenious use of texture in these collaged illustrations, including images of cloth for floors, house facades, and clothes and buttons for flowers and drawer knobs echoes the theme of recycling. The book could be used to fuel a discussion about consumerism, recycling or physical appearance, or to model ways of incorporating old clothes and fabrics into an art project. Readers might enjoy writing their own poetic tributes to clothing.