I really enjoyed the detail in this book. I really learned a lot of awesome facts about fashion that I didn't know prior to reading this book.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. Is it a charming compilation of a clever young girl's sharp-eyed drawings and descriptions of Elizabethan fashion? Or is it a collection of childish drawings (if rather good ones) and an even larger, slightly bizarre compilation of certificates from school being passed off as something more? I had no familiarity with Melinda Camber Porter; frankly, her (adult) art is in a style I dislike pretty intensely. Apparently she died relatively young, and relatively recently, and this book is apparently a tribute to her and what seems to have been a remarkable and productive live. It just seems to me to be a very odd sort of a tribute.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

This was written by a young schoolgirl who eventually went to Oxford and became a journalist. It's extremely useful for anyone studying the fashions of the time and it has detailed illustrations. However, it's really a book for researchers.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I found this little snippet of information about the fashion during the time of Queen Elizabeth's reign quite interesting.

It contained pictures an drawings of the different types of clothing, as well as descriptions and details.

It's a super short read and fascinating to learn about.



I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book Via NetGalley.

Okay. Not what I was expecting really. Wish photos were better.

I was drawn to this book both because of my longtime love of anything Tudor and interest in early work of Melinda Camber Porter. I found this to be interesting book, especially as an insight into how detailed Camber Porter's work was even as a teenager. On the other hand, I'm puzzled by the designation of the book as Children's Nonfiction. I don't know that middle school children will appreciate the depth of information Camber Porter conveyed, or the detailed drawings she made. A teen might, but only if they are similarly interested in Tudor England. There is, alas, the additional complication that knowing Camber Porter went on to become an artist and filmmaker and resulting curiosity about her work leads to potential awkwardness. In a school or library setting, adults will be hard pressed to show younger teens any of Camber Porter's work that might be considered "appropriate" by parents, due to the graphic sexual aspects of many of her paintings. To me this book is probably best appreciated by adults who have an interest in Camber Porter and her amazing development, from an early age, as an artist and visual thinker. The book clearly highlights the fact that Camber Porter was a detailed researcher from her youth.