Sarah May and the New Red Dress

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University in Kingston.

Sarah May, a grandmother, recounts the story of how she acquired a red
dress when she was a girl. Sarah May needs a new dress but it must be
serviceable and inexpensive. She desperately wants a red dress, but a
trip to the general store results in her mother purchasing dismal blue
material for the new dress. Sarah May expresses her disappointment over
the color to her confidant, the wind. She blames the blue dress for
several “misfortunes” that befall her when she wears it.

As Sarah May journeys home alone in the pony trap from church one
Sunday morning, she is drenched by a sudden deluge. The blue dye runs
from her dress and Sarah May is delighted! Although the dress is
bleached the following day, there are streaky parts that need to be
covered so Sarah May rides the pony to the general store to purchase a
packet of dye. Guess what color she chooses? Readers will empathize with
Sarah May, who must initially settle for less than she wants but whose
hope and patience are rewarded in the end. The detailed and colorful
illustrations accurately depict the historical setting. Recommended.