Children's Literature—Clothing is an important part of any child’s life, yet the changes in fashion throughout the years can seem funny and strange to children. When clothing from as recently as the 1960s can garner giggles from children, it can be especially difficult to sensibly explain how children dressed during the colonial period. While fashion has changed the reasons behind it have not, and in the pages of this book Fisher points out what drove fashion in the colonial period. She compares the desire to mimic clothes worn by royalty then with the desire of modern children to mimic their favorite movie and television stars through clothing. But the author also discusses the difficulties that early colonists faced when making their own clothes. She describes the processes of making cloth, shoes, hats and wigs long ago. The text is very simple, yet informative and can easily be used in a classroom setting. “Words to Know” that appear within the text are defined on the same page, and “Then and Now” asides compare how colonial styles differed from modern styles. Simple illustrations help add depth to the text, which is part of the “Colonial Quest” series.

Booklist  October 2010 Spotlight on new nonfiction series—Sometimes the simplest truths can be the most startling: “When the colonists first settled in the New World, there were no stores selling cloths.” Thus begins this very basic but nevertheless intriguing volume in the Colonial Quest series. It starts with breeches, bonnets, vests and dresses. “Children looked like small grown-ups.” Fisher writes, and it’s a savvy observation. By necessity, colonists had to make their own clothing, and information is given on tools like sewing wheels, which seem harmless enough until you learn that the king of England had banned them. Descriptions of weavers, tailors, cobblers, tanners, milliners, and wig makers lead to a surprisingly welcome finale: the clothing of Native Americans.