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“This boy does.“

This is a perfect story about the courage and creativity it takes to be different. All ages could benefit from the reading of this story!

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress is a children's picture book written by Christine Baldacchino and illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant. The illustrations bring this story to life. The title refers to the color tangerine which is very clear to children what type of color that is by looking at the illustrations. Many of the other colors throughout the pictures are dull to make the color orange the star of the book. Very cute story!

This story can be used in the classroom not only for its important message that anyone can like anything no matter if its a “girl thing“ or a “boy thing“ but it also allows students to understand the use of color and how everything that Morris cherished was the same color and hue.

This book was illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant who did an excellent job with the reoccurring use of the tangerine color that is so important to Morris for many different reasons. Because the pages are more muted tones it allows for that contrast of the tangerine color to really pop on each page.

“When he thought of all the kids in his class and all the mean things they did and said, his tummy ached for real.“ This quote just shows that how words and actions are really powerful.

I think that this is a great book to introduce diversity and that it is okay to like different things. I also think it's really important to use as an educator to young children and adolescent because it talks about how important it is to be confident in what you like.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino. 2014. Picture Book. Stonewall Honor Book in Children's and Young Adult Literature and American Library Associations Rainbow list. This books color is very vibrant snd shows the reader what the dress means to him. The orange color is soft and stand out as the lines around are harsh. Think this represents conformity and how Morris doesn't conform to this norm.

This story tells us about a little boy who loves using his imagination. Morris loves his classroom's dress-up center -he loves wearing the tangerine dress. But the children in Morris's class don't understand. They tease and taunt him until he does not want to come to school anymore. After spending time at home with his cat, he returns to school wearing the dress with pride.