Lily Max: Satin, Scissors, Frock
Jane Bloomfield, illustrated by Guy Fisher
Luncheon Sausage Books
NZ$22
Lily Max: Satin,
Scissors, Frock is more a cast of characters than a title. Young Lily Max
sees herself as a “zany fashionista” and spends her time designing outrageous
(pronounced out-ray-juice) fashion statements. Her ambition is to create a
ball-gown that will have her chosen as the Queen of the school’s Winter
Wonderland Ball. (Think half Queenstown and half Disney Channel.) “First up, I
sketch a high sheer neckline with capped sleeves and a satin-y, bodice-y bit.” (Guy
Fisher’s illustrations are helpful here.)
Lily Max is sublimely self-confident but faces the hostility
of jealous rival Violet and autocratic “school officer” Miss Sprotts. Disaster
looms. What follows is silly fun with every ensemble described in detail.
If horse-mad young girls are catered for with pony stories,
why shouldn’t there be stories about making clothes for the Lily Maxes of this
world? It’s best to regard this story as a soap opera rather than a novel. By
the end, it’s more of a circus but it’s a lively read.
Trevor Agnew
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