A story worth reading is 'Nancy Bess Had a Dress' by Claire Annette Noland and illustrated by Angela C. Hawkins. It takes place in the 1930s when times were difficult and war made creativity and ingenuity necessary to survive. "Waste not, want not!" Nancy Bess is heading to town with her parents to shop for various things. A sack of flour is one of the items they would need.

Time for a history lesson. To make flour sacks more usable, manufacturers would print floral patterns on them so that when the flour was depleted, they could be used to make clothing, blankets, towels.

It wasn't long before Nancy Bess found the perfect flour sack with a daisy print. The flour sack eventually was empty. A dress was made by Mama for Nancy. Over time, the dress was transformed into an apron. The apron eventually tore, and Nancy Bess fashioned a satchel in its place. The daisy patterned creations continued to evolve until one day, she gathered all of the various scraps together...

You may be inspired to sew something after reading this book. This was a wonderful book about being resourceful and not wasting what you have. My favorite thing about this book is the message and the history it teaches. I recommend this book.

This book reminded me of when I was growing up. My mom would sew and crochet. She would save her scraps to use on another project. She made us Barbie and doll clothes from the scraps. Waste not, want not is the motto. What a cute little story and the illustrations are just lovely. I read this book with my 6-year old granddaughter and she loved it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I am leaving this review on my own and is my own opinion.
#nancybeshadadress, #claireannettenoland, #gnomeroadpulishing

I remember my mom and grandmother sewing constantly during my childhood. Scraps of cloth went into a basket, Halloween costumes were created and reused for multiple years, and there was always the mindset "it's still good." That's not uncommon for people who lived through or were raised by folks who experienced the Great Depression.

Nancy Bess had a Dress reminded me of that mindset; a mindset I grew up surrounded by, and I've had ingrained in me, as well. It's a beautiful book with historic perspective about a little girl who knows how to make the most out of what she's got. "Waste not, want not."

Nancy Bess is a lovely character, a great example for young readers, and her story still resonates in today's world. If you grew up shelling peas on the front porch of your grandmother's house this book is for you. If you have a child interested in sewing or creating this book is for you. If you want a great book with historic truth and value to it this book is for you.

Go read this book - it's delightful!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy! This is such a good story, the ending is so sweet. I love the illustrations.

"She measured, cut, stitched, and saved the unused bits."

Once upon a time, if you wanted a new dress, you didn't run to the store and buy one - you made it.
Fabric was expensive, so many used colorful flour sacks for making new items of apparel. And when that garment was no longer wearable, the fabric was cut up, saved, and used for other items. Nothing was wasted. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” was the philosophy, and, dagnabbit, it was a good one.

This sweet story appeals to the Yankee in me, and perhaps explains my fabric-hoarder tendencies. (And, maybe my string, ribbon, button, and pretty-paper-keeping proclivities.) I adored young Nancy Bess and her practical ways. Noland's tale is utterly charming, and Angela C. Hawkins' swell illustrations only enhance the magic.

This will hopefully appeal to enterprising and resourceful youngsters, and also to adult fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and L.M. Montgomery.

I adore this story. It really spoke to my heart and I loved it. It reminded me of how we grew up. We made everything count and we made things to last. This is an absolutely wonderful story about Nancy Bess and her flour sack dress. She was so excited to pick it out at the store while it was a flour sack. Then when the flour was gone it was made into her dress, she loved it. As she grows and the dress gets worn she cuts and sews to make it into new things each time. She also saves every scrap the whole time. Then when there are nothing but scraps left Nancy Bess uses them to make something extra special. We loved how the story showed the many ways she used the material in new and creative ways. The illustrations were adorable, colorful and heartwarming. They matched the story perfectly. Your family will love and treasure this story. It is a wonderful book for children to share with the older generations of their family. We received this as an ebook ARC but we will be adding it to our home library. We can’t wait to share it for generations to come.

I received a copy of this eBook from NetGalley for an honest review.

I love this story of a time gone by when we used everything until it just couldn't be used anymore. Bess's mom made a dress from a flour bag and Bess continued to use that fabric until all she had left was scraps.

A cute picture book about an empty flour sack and all the things you could make from it as well as the left over pieces from earlier projects. Lovely picture into a time when the necessity of sewing lead to being creative. Emphasizes creative reuse of a beloved thing - well not only a beloved thing but anything really. Also liked that Nancy Bess was involved in doing all kinds of activities. Would recommend.

Nancy Bess is amazing!! It is a fun and educational book for kids of all ages! The story is both engaging and easy enough to follow. Both my children (6 and 8 years old). Love it!

Oh, how much fun! I love this picture book trip back in time to when women and girls reused patterned flour sacks to make clothes and other household items. I felt like I was back in that time period. I like how Nancy Bess and her mother are very resourceful and find ways to use a pretty flour sack until all that's left are small scraps, and even those are put to good use. A definite reminder of using things up, being thrifty, and being creative. Adorable pictures and enchanting tale.

I love Nancy Bess. Such a sweet character who uses her thrifty gifts to 'make do'. Flour sacks and sewing...sold! My favorite is the repeating line that is so fun to say, "She measured, cut, stitched and saved the unused bits." Nancy Bess is creative and resourceful and will give kids lots of fun ideas. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and complement the story perfectly. There might be a little something squeaky hidden on every page. Thanks to Claire, Angela and Gnome Road Publishing for creating this lovely book and for the ARC to review. My opinions are my own...and I preordered this one!

Nancy Bess Had A Dress by Claire Annette Noland

Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for my review copy of this children's book.

I loved this story and the illustrations are great too. I think would really appeal to lots of readers, and for myself I really liked being able to learn something new about people in the past.

A great book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A very sweet story about a dress made from a flour sack and all its various incarnations as Nancy Bess grows and the dress becomes too small. I found there were quite a few America specific phrases and happenings in the book that might make me less likely to buy it for my granddaughter but overall it was a charming and beautifully illustrated story. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review.

Nancy Bess can sew a dress when she was a little girl. Its my dream since i was at the same age like Nancy. Waste not, want not! In the late 1930’s an empty family flour sack could be made into the latest fashion. At the end of this pages, kids can know more about this facts after reading the story about Nancy Bess could do sewing. Love the illustration of this book. Its so colourful and interesting

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is adorable. And the pictures are very well done!

I received an electronic ARC from Gnome Road Publishing through NetGalley.
Set in the 1930's in the United States. Noland shows readers how families saved and reused materials as they could not afford new. Readers meet Bess as she chooses the flour sack and then helps make her new dress. It's a lovely daisy print, and when it gets too small, readers see Bess turn it into an apron. She continues to use the material that's left to create smaller and smaller items so nothing is wasted. The theme comes through clearly in both the artwork and text. Noland also provides informative text about flour dresses at the end of the book.

This story features the ingenuity and creativity of girls and women in the early 20th century who lived according to the maxim, "Waste not, want not." Nancy and her mother go to town and, although the store clerk rolls his eyes, Nancy picks the flour sack on the very bottom of the pile that has blue fabric decorated with a daisy pattern. After batches of biscuits, pancakes, and homemade bread, the sack is empty and Nancy Bess can make it into a new dress or herself. When she outgrows it, she can cut it down to make an apron. When the apron is ripped, then she can make a satchel. As something befalls each new creation, there is always another way it can be put to use.

The illustrations of pencil, watercolor, and digital ink capture the passage of time as well as the closeness of the family and community. Readers will see Nancy Bess grow taller, her mother's pregnancy becoming more evident, and the loving care put into each stitch of the baby quilt Nancy Bess makes for her new sibling. Other details that might catch the eye are the antics of her puppy - riding in her school satchel, accompanying her to the potluck, or covering its eyes with a paw as Nancy Bess gets her hair bobbed. There are also some mice who can be found watching from the mantel, the windowsill, and other vantage points around the house. The mice also do some sewing of their own like those furry seamstresses in Disney's "Cinderella."

Back matter includes an explanation of flour sack dresses and their growing popularity through the 1930s and even after World War II. Fashion styles and daily activities reflect the time period shown. Nancy Bess and her family read as white and so do most of the characters shown in the illustrations. One of her friends does have thick curly hair and browner skin than the others.

This is a sweetly homespun tale reminiscent of Simms Taback's Joseph Had a Little Overcoat and full of fun like Sunday socials and gathering treasures by the creek. A good read aloud to accompany lessons on reusing materials, open-ended thinking, or early twentieth century life.

I love this book about Nancy Bess, who used resourcefulness and creativity to "make do" during the Great Depression. The book starts with a printed flour sack that Nancy Bess uses to make a dress. When she grows out of the dress, she uses the fabric to make something else and when that wears out, she takes the old and makes something new until there isn't enough fabric to make anything more with it. Or is there? This is a lovely story, with colorful, cheery illustrations that can help children see abundance around them. Nancy Bess takes pride in her skills instead of feeling sorry for herself. I think we can all learn lessons from this story, no mater what our age.

Nancy Bess Had A Dress is about a little girl named Nancy and how she is able to get use out of a flour sack. She is able to use the fabric to make a dress for herself and as the dress ages and wears down she is able to continuously use the fabric for other things. Prolonging it's utility. This book teaches children about appreciating what you have and using is as much as you can to reduce waste. A great lesson for kids and very cute and appealing illustrations

Nancy Bess Had a Dress is a delightful story with a lovely little nod to a period in time when American families used to repurpose flour sacks into clothing. The illustrations are delightful and the story kept my little girl's attention - she now wants me to make her a dress!