- 1/4
James's Dresses
October 2019
- 16 pages
- A5
- colour digital printing
- saddle stitched
£5.00
James’s Dresses is, just as you might have guessed, a story about a boy called James and his dresses. The original Portuguese version, Os Vestidos do Tiago, was self-published by Joana Estrela in 2013 and subsequently republished by Sapata Press in 2018. This much needed English translation keeps the song-like rhythm of the original text but features a brand new, refreshed green cover!
We can say that James’s Dresses is a story about gender expression, but it’s more accurate to just say that this is the story of a boy who loves to wear dresses. That is really the only thing driving the narrative in these colourful pages where nothing else ever becomes an issue or an argument. In that sense, Estrela has decided to tell this story in a very positive and affirmative way, keeping it safe from any tension or conflict. Her simple but skillful illustrations, together with the pure and wholesome tone of her words, help create the happy and beautiful world James lives in.
Joana Estrela is an illustrator, cartoonist, and author based in Porto, Portugal. Other titles by her available in English include Propaganda (Plana, 2014), Eglė and the Snake (kuš!, 2020), and My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids (Wide Eyed Editions, 2022).