Lexi’s Magic Clothes. Margy Reid. Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Milden, SK: www.margyreidbooks.net, 2010. 42 pp., pbk., $8.99. ISBN 978-0-9865168-0-1. Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 4-6. Review by Inderjit Deogun. ** /4

excerpt:

You see, Lexi has a secret. Such a secret secret, even her mommy doesn’t know it. And mommies know everything! Yes, Lexi has a secret. You see … you see … what Lexi knows that nobody else knows, not even her mommy is … Lexi’s clothes are MAGIC!

That’s right, MAGIC! Her mommy doesn’t know that when Lexi puts on her blue skirt with red dots and purple shirt with yellow stripes and orange rain boots with little green frogs on them, she’s not just wearing clothes. She is Lexi, the most awesome ringmaster of the greatest, bestest circus, in the whole wide world!

As ringmaster, Lexi walks to the centre of her room. All of her stuffed animals become acts in the circus, and her dolls become the cheering crowd!

Lexi is three-years-old. There’s nothing she likes to do more than change her clothes, with the reason being – Lexi’s clothes are magic. Each outfit brings a new world to life in her very own bedroom. For Lexi, nothing is out of reach.

      Hazel Mitchell’s illustrations perfectly capture the workings of Lexi’s boundless imagination. The whimsical quality of her art echoes Lexi’s creativity and excitement to broaden her little world. Nothing speaks to this more than Mitchell’s frenzied chaos and vibrant colours.

      Margy Reid expertly showcases the playfulness of little girls. Though the repetitive nature of her text becomes rather tedious for the reader, Reid’s depiction of Lexi in the act of dress-up is flawless. There’s no doubt that young girls will see themselves in Lexi. However, Reid’s greatest achievement is the singular truth that a girl can go as far as her imagination takes her.

Recommended.

Inderjit Deogun, of Mississauga, ON, is currently pursuing a career in publishing with a particular interest in children’s literature.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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