Wanda wears the same faded and worn blue dress to school every day, even though she claims she has a hundred beautiful dresses at home, "a whole closet full." Peggy and her classmates don't believe Wanda and begin to tease her. Maddie, Peggy's best friend, doesn't join in the teasing but just stands by in silence. Inside, however, Maddie is tormented because she cannot find the courage to openly defend Wanda. Only after Wanda's sudden departure do the classmates learn the truth about the hundred dresses, and Maddie and Peggy come to a clear understanding of what kindness and generosity of spirit truly mean.
For 80 years, children in different countries have been captivated by Eleanor Estes' (1906–1988) touching story. It resonates deeply in their hearts, partly because it is based on real events from the author's own childhood. In her class, there was a girl who was teased because of her single dress and her unusual Polish name. In the small town of West Haven, Connecticut, where the future author grew up and where the story takes place, Polish names were a rarity. Then that girl moved to New York—it happened suddenly, in the middle of the school year, and Eleanor never had the chance to apologize to her. For many years, she was tormented by a lingering sense of guilt. After all, she knew firsthand what poverty and a cold house were like, and what it meant to wear hand-me-downs from an older sister. But is poverty a reason to tease someone? And is it ever right to toy with the feelings of those who are different from you? Eleanor never stopped searching for answers to these questions, and one day she realized she had to write about everything that had happened. Thus, the story "The Hundred Dresses" was born; it was first published in 1944 and soon received a Newbery Honor.
The Russian edition features the restored original illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner Louis Slobodkin. They create a perfect mood for this poignant book about compassion and understanding, which has become a classic.
Author: Eleanor Estes
Illustrations: Louis Slobodkin
Translation: Olga Varshaver
Pages: 80 (offset). Hardcover
Dimensions: 200×141 mm
