The Prince and the Dressmaker

This book follows the story of two main characters, Prince Sebastian as he comes to terms with who he is and what he enjoys doing and Francis the brilliant seamstress. Sebastian enjoys dressing up in beautiful woman's clothing. Francis is a talented dressmaker and Sebastian's best friend that creates works of art for him to wear. Together they explore friendship and navigate what it means to love someone unconditionally.

I fervently wish that books like this existed when I was a preteen/teenager. I think that if I have had access to literature of this quality and subject content, maybe the world would have not seemed so strange and foreign when I left my protective bubble as a child and became an adult. Not only is this book well written and beautifully executed, but it is also an important subject because people are people, no matter how small... how they want to dress, or how they see themselves.

This book primarily deals with being different and how people will love you an except you given half the chance. The prince is a crossdresser, he likes big and beautiful dresses, specifically those of a seamstress that he has befriended. Together they form a partnership based on friendship and eventually love. This story is the perfect blend of sweetness, authenticity, joy, sadness and ultimately love overlayed with Jen Wang's gorgeous illustrations.