This was an absolutely heart-lifting read. This adorable identity story revolves around Prince Sebastian's love of wearing dresses and fashion that are typically for women. This graphic novel is beautifully drawn in full color. The evolution of the characters is well done. We can understand both characters' struggles and highlights.

I definitely recommend this graphic novel. It is gorgeously illustrated and tells a wonderful story of acceptance.

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang
💃💃💃1/2 (out of 5)
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-This is an arc from netgalley-
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Seamstress Frances accepts a job from a mysterious stranger and finds she's to be the personal dressmaker to a member of the royal family--TWIST--it's Crown Prince Sebastian.
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The two strike a bargain: Frances gets to design loud, ostentatious gowns, and Sebastian gets to secretly indulge his own love for fashion by disguising himself as a well-dressed woman and hitting the town.
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The artwork in this graphic novel is so fitting and adorable. I love the depictions of the characters and their joy in discovering beauty in clothing. I thought their faces were very expressive; Wang is a talented artist.
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However, possibly as a result of my own cynicism, maybe because I've got too much knowledge of history, I could not buy into the story, which takes place in the early 20th century. Even given the relative open-mindedness of Paris, Sebastian would have met with much more hostility and resistance than is shown here. And sure, the book seems intended for younger readers, and it's more or less a fairy tale, but I couldn't help but think that Sebastian was in real danger.
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I suppose the fact that I was genuinely worried about the characters shows that they are well-developed, and I appreciate what Wang is doing with this book.
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I would recommend it for middle grades without hesitation; I think it is best read before the world becomes too real for kids.
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Graphic novels are still a fairly new genre to me, but with each one I read I fall in love a little bit more and The Prince and the Dressmaker has got to be the sweetest one I’ve read yet! Jen Wang’s illustrations were fantastic, the characters lovely, and the dresses absolutely divine. I loved watching Prince Sebastian’s confidence grow as he transformed into Lady Crystallia and I adored Frances’ friendship and easy acceptance. This story is about two characters going after their dreams and my heart warmed as I watched them come true. The ending was my favorite part as love conquered the day and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can read it all over again.

I normally don't read graphic novels, but because of the beautiful artwork in this book, I will definitely seek out more. The artwork made this a wonderful experience. The characters were unique and the dresses, with their long flowing skirts made me want to twirl.

I enjoyed this story about two teens finding the courage to stand up for who they are and what they want and learning the importance of friendship and its role in providing unconditional support, even when that means opening yourself up to scrutiny.

As for the main story line, Sebastian's secret of wearing dresses, I would have liked to know more about his feelings and inner thoughts. Understanding Sebastian's inner self more would give readers a better understanding of peers who are similar to the character.

The first thing I can say is that the illustrations were absolutely lovely. They colouring wasn't too bright and loud but neither was it too dark and dull, it was simply perfect.
I also really did adore the story, it was different and unique and did hit on an issue that has become much more prominent in recent years. The way it has been approached in this delightful graphic novel is ideal for sharing with children. As I teacher I know there are times when gender stereotyping comes into play and the big debate about boys wearing girls clothes becomes a big issue. This book is a lovely way to explore that while still being sensitive to the topic. I did love the ending though! That was just fantastic!
Overall I would recommend this book to other educators and those who have children. Actually, even if you don't have children you should still read this book.

Frances is a lowly seamstress, who is hidden in the background with several others. Frances is given an opportunity to shine, when she is tasked with creating a ball gown for a local young woman, who hopes to land the prince's hand in marriage. Surprisingly, Frances gains the attentions of Prince Sebastian, who has a secret life as Lady Crystallia. Frances begins creating dresses for Lady Crystallia and gaining the notice of all other well to-do ladies. As Frances's popularity grows, Prince Sebastian begins worrying about the kingdom finding out about his secret. Is there a way for both Prince Sebastian and Frances to remain true to themselves without hurting the other?

I love that the main character is gender fluid. There are not many gender fluid characters found in graphic novels, who are accepted instead of being the butt of a farce. I loved the illustrations. I totally want to own a Frances creation. I would even enjoy spending more time in this world.

The illustrator of the Cory Doctorow graphic novel "In Real Life" shines with this debut. Sure to appeal to fans of "Nimona," this graphic novel tackles the subject of cross-dressing in an overwhelmingly positive but realistic tone. It acknowledges the nuance of identity, gender roles, societal expectations, and fear of coming out to family. Intense stuff, but handled in such a way that younger readers can comprehend. A magnificent achievement that deserves to be included in readers advisory.
Sebastian is a dynamic and sympathetic character, dealing with his fierce desire for dresses and the huge demands on him as prince and sole royal heir of Belgium. Francis is strong and fearless in her pursuit of what is right for the achievement of her own dreams. I doubt I could be as stalwart as her, given her position as a seamstress who wants to become a designer (but on her own terms). She's also a tremendously hard worker.
The smooth storytelling and wonderful artwork disguise a surprisingly nuanced situation. The conclusion may be far-fetched, but leaves the reader satisfied.
This title is slated to be published in February 2018, just in time for Valentine's Day. I predict it will be one of the hottest middle-grade titles of 2018.
Note: I was provided an advance reading copy by Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a lovely story. It says important things about gender and identity in a way that I know kids will really have fun with. The art is fun and beautiful, the characters are well-rounded and complex. In my opinion, it struck the perfect balance between being nuanced enough that kids will think about it after they've finished reading, and straightforward enough that the main themes won't be lost on anyone. I'm looking forward to ordering a copy for the library I work at.

The Prince and the Dressmaker was an amazing, uplifting story about acceptance. Frances is a junior apprentice in a dress shop. Her design catches the eye of a fashionista, who just happens to be the prince or Belgium, whose family is visiting Paris for the summer. Prince Sebastian desires nothing more than to wear dresses of the highest fashion. He hides this from his sport-loving father and mother, fearing they would reject their only son for his desire to wear dresses. Once Frances learns he is to be her new client, she does not judge but gets to work creating masterpieces for him to wear as his alter-ego “Lady Crystallia.” So during the day, Prince Sebastian must adhere to royal protocol, but at night he parades around Paris as Layd Crystallia, who becomes the toast of the fashion world. Forced to keep the prince’s secret, Frances soon finds her designs copied as she cannot expose the prince as Lady Crystallia. When Sebastian is exposed, he believes his life is over, but soon finds that those who truly love him, will accept all of him – Sebastian and Lady Crystallia.
This graphic novel was heart-warming and left me with a smile on my face. I hope we are able to visit with Frances and Sebastian again, as I feel there is more their stories. Wang’s art fits seamlessly with the storyline. I love that the beauty of the backdrop did not overpower the characters or the story. Each character was uniquely drawn and identifiable. I feel this is a timely story and one that can open an honest discussion on what defines gender identity. It today’s society, women wear pants, so why can’t men wear dresses?

When Frances, a dressmaker working in Paris, designs a daring and scandalous dress for a client, she catches the eye of a member of the royal family who hires her on the spot. However, when she arrives at the palace, she realizes that she’ll be designing dresses not for the Queen or a princess, but for the royal prince! Wearing these new creations (and an orange wig), Prince Sebastian, along with Frances, explore the city and night and become close friends. But Frances isn’t content to keep her work a secret and soon the Prince must choose between the two lives he’s created. Wang seamlessly (pun intended!) pairs a wonderful story with incredible art in this graphic novel about self-discovery, relationships, and really rad fashion.

I like reading graphic novels because they’re short. I’m a terrible person, I know. I’m also terribly impatient and I like things with pictures.

I also love clothes. I love pretty clothes. I love wearing them, looking at them, shopping for them, designing them…everything but actually making them, that’s where my skills fail. I’ve got imagination, but no practical skills outside of a nack for assembling furniture. I can darn my own socks, hem a curtain and fix a ripped seam and that’s the extent of my sewing skills. I wish I had the time, the skills, and the resources to be an expert seamstress. I’d make clothes all the time. But I just can’t do it. I can dream, though. And look at clothes from all eras on pinterest, my favorite place to go when I’m sad and just want to look at pretty clothes.

Anyhow! The Prince and the Dressmaker revolves around a young seamstress, Frances, and the fictional crown-prince of Belgium, Sebastian. Sebastian arrives in alt-turn-of-the-twentieth-century Paris and, since he’s a 16-year-old single prince, of course there’s a ball and all the eligible ladies are invited. Frances, a poor seamstress, gets a rush order from a Lady Sophia the day before the ball. Lady Sophia is 100% uninterested in going to the ball, so she requests that Frances make something to make her look like “the devil’s wench.” And boy does Frances deliver. Lady Sophia’s dress is awesome, badass and original and causes a huge ruckus at the ball. The next day, Frances’s boss is in the process of firing her when a guy named Emile shows up and offers Frances an outrageous salary to become the private seamstress to an anonymous lady. Frances accepts…only to find that she’s brought to the palace, and the “lady” she’s to work for is none other than Prince Sebastian himself. In secret, Sebastian is a cross-dresser - he just loves to wear dresses (understandable, dresses are gorgeous and amazing, especially some of the gilded age fashions featured here and dude fashions are just so booooring…). Rather than being weirded out, Frances takes a liking to the prince and they become friends. With Frances’s help, Sebastian develops an alter-ego as the popular and fashionable Lady Crystallia. Frances starts falling in love with Sebastian/Crystallia…except the problem is Sebastian is a prince and has a whole host of responsibilities. Lady Crystallia must remain secret.

This graphic novel is short and super sweet, and I absolutely loved it. I love anything that revolves around designing clothes, really, but the relationship between Frances and Sebastian/Crystallia was beautifully drawn and believable- there’s not a whole ton of them hashing out what their relationship is - it’s conveyed more with looks and images. Jen Wang’s illustrations manage to convey more heart and emotion than any monologue ever could. I really loved The Prince and the Dressmaker - it made me smile and managed to warm my cold, dead heart. Quite a feat since I’d spent most of my day in a foul mood because dentists are the worst, aren’t they? Ugh.

I’m going to go re-read Prince and the Dressmaker to purge my dentist experience from my brain. Or maybe spend the next thousand years looking at haute couture gowns on Pinterest…

A prince with a secret and a seamstress who is only too happy to help him keep it - what could possibly go wrong? A lot, it turns out, when the prince isn't totally honest about himself with anyone but his faithful tailor. This is a very sweet story about the difficulty of discovering - and revealing - one's true identity -- and how rewarding such a thing can ultimately be.

This was a lovely story (with gorgeous fashion) about love, family and learning to live one’s truth. Prince Sebastian and Frances need each other to move forward with their dreams, both wanting to stand out in the fashion world. Sebastian comes alive dressed in Frances daring couture gowns as Lady Crystallia, but his fears of his family finding out force Frances to make hard decisions about her own dreams. I enjoyed this and can’t wait to have a physical copy in hand.

I wasn't able to read this because unfortunately the file was not compatible. This is unfortunate because it seems really cute and wonderful. I wish I could read it.

I enjoyed this book. The story is cute and the illustrations are beautiful. I would recommend this to younger readers who are looking for diverse characters.

Heartwarming is a good word to describe this graphic novel from Jen Wang. The characters were compelling, the artwork was poignant and the story was nicely constructed. Her art especially excelled in conveying introspection, which is necessary for a novel of self-discovery. I love the setting, modernizing Paris, complete with electricity, department stores and royalty, was unique and fit well with the narrative. Would whole-heartedly recommend to my non-binary, gender-fluid and trans friends.

I’m usually not a fan of graphic novels. I can count the graphic novels I’ve read on one hand, but when I saw the summary of THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, I knew this was one that I definitely wanted to read… and I was not disappointed.

The art is beautiful in this book. Not just the characters and scenery, but also the dresses that Frances creates for Lady Crystallia. I spent a ton of time just looking at each panel, admiring the art.

This does have romance in it, which was something I did not expect. Generally when you have a character that is genderfluid but was deemed male at birth, their creator has them be attracted to people who were also deemed male at birth. It was AMAZING to see Frances and Sebastian slowly fall for each other, and I think it’s a good reminder for people who are not apart of the Queer community (and even some that are) that “dressing as a woman” doesn’t equal “gay”.

There is a lot of self exploration in this book. Not just from Sebastian/Crystallia, but also from Frances. It was great to see Frances stick up for herself. She wanted to protect Sebastian and understood why they did what they did, but still knew that it wasn’t fair to her. It was a good commentary on how we can understand that something may be good for our friends, but it isn’t good for us and we’re allowed to leave situations that hurt us.

The ending was spectacular! I think I screamed during the fashion show scene and I can’t wait until this comes out so I can make the king my profile picture.

If you’re a fan of gender noncomformity, friends turned something more, and people discovering who they are, this cute graphic novel is for you!

This graphic novel is so cute! Friendship! Love! Royalty! Pretty dresses!

In essence, this is a story about two teens discovering who they are and what they want and the hardships along the way. But it's more than that because it takes place in the past (year not specified though it seems like the late 1900s), so the traditions and expectations of the characters are different than today and yet the same social constructions weigh on us as a society: that to be different is to be shameful. When obviously that's not the case at all.

Prince Sebastian just wants to be himself, but he's a teenage boy who likes wearing dresses and being feminine and yet isn't gay. It's something I've not seen too much and it was a refreshing story to experience.

Frances is a young woman who just wants to make pretty, avant-garde dresses and see people wearing her designs. She's strong and stands by her principles and I love the friendship that develops between her and Sebastian.

The art is colorful and fun and just adorable! The characters faces are so expressive! Love this story!

This was absolutely adorable. Such a wonderful story about how liberating it is to be yourself. I loved it all - the dresses, the humor, the friendship. When I was an awkward little girl, I could have really used a book like this to encourage me to be who I am and be that person fearlessly.

A sweet, big-hearted graphic novel with adorable characters, fabulous gowns, and a charming story about two teenagers discovering who they are and what they want from life. I've been looking forward to this story ever since Jen Wang announced it a few years ago, and I am so happy to finally have read a graphic novel so full of acceptance, love, and fantastic fashion.