One Hundred Dresses

Wanda goes to school in the same blue dress - washed out and faded, although, according to her, she has a hundred beautiful dresses at home, "a whole closet". Peggy and her classmates do not believe Wanda and begin to tease her. Lena, Peggy's best friend, does not participate in the general fun, but only silently present. But internally, Lena suffers from the fact that she does not find the courage to openly defend Wanda. Only after Wanda's sudden departure do her classmates learn the truth about the hundred dresses, and Lena and Peggy clearly understand what kindness and generosity of soul are.

The touching story by Elinor Estes (1906–1988) has been read by children in different countries for 80 years. It resonates in their hearts, in part because it is based on real events from the writer’s own childhood. There was a girl in her class who was teased because of her only dress and unusual Polish name. In the small town of West Haven, Connecticut, where the future writer grew up and where this story takes place, Polish names were rare. And then that girl moved to New York — it happened suddenly, in the middle of the school year, and Elinor never had time to apologize to her. For many years, she was tormented by an incessant feeling of guilt. After all, she herself knew firsthand what it was like to be poor and cold in the house and to wear out her older sister’s clothes. But is poverty a reason to tease a person? And is it possible to play with the feelings of those who are different from you? Eleanor never stopped looking for answers to these questions, and one day she realized that she needed to write about everything that had happened. This is how the story “One Hundred Dresses” was born, which was first published in 1944 and soon received an Honorary Newbery Diploma.

The Russian edition comes with restored original illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Louis Slobodkin (1903–1975). They set the perfect mood for this poignant book about compassion and understanding that has become a classic.

Recommended reader age: 6+

Author: Eleanor Estes
Artist: Louis Slobodkin
Translation: Olga Varshaver
Number of pages: 80
Year: 2024
Publisher: Melik-Pashayev
Cover type: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-5-00041-607-5