Little, Brown and Company | 978-0316200646

Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown

Fred is a busy boy who loves to romp through the house, around his bedroom, across the hall, and into his parent’s bedroom. Like many young kids his age, he also happens to love being naked! “Fred might never get dressed!”

But one day, he stops romping and “peeks into Mom and Dad’s closet.” All those clothes. Shirts and ties, shoes and dresses. It might be fun to try on something new. It might be fun to brush his hair and paint his face with makeup. But… Uh-oh! Here comes mom and dad! What to do?

In a blog post about the inspiration behind the story, Caldecott honor-winning artist, Peter Brown  writes:

One day, when I was five years old, I went into my parents’ bedroom and began looking through my mother’s makeup. I loved my mom, and I loved making art, so it was only natural that I was curious about the “paint” she put on her face.  I didn’t know what to do with makeup, of course, and when my mother found me, her makeup was smeared across my cheek.

My mom’s reaction was simple, but amazing. She just smiled, cleaned my cheek, and then she showed me how to put on makeup. We had a terrific time trying on makeup, together.

… I love that I felt free to explore and experiment. I love that my mom joined me and encouraged my curiosity.

In his post, Brown goes on to describe his process from initial spark to finished picture book – rough sketches and thumbnails, color choices and composition, and even the decision to write the story in the present tense.

He writes:

At one point I told my editor that I didn’t want this story to have any tension at all. Fred’s experience is so sweet and innocent that I just wanted him to have this moment without any problems. As it turns out, Fred never encounters any real problems, but there is a moment when readers might feel some tension. And that’s the moment when Fred’s parents first find him dressed up like his mom.

Listen to Peter Brown share more about the book, and take a peek at some of the inside spreads!

This exhuberant picture book was delightfully joyful and surprising. I know many young readers will agree.