POPPY'S FAMILY PATTERNS

A torn dress leads to hours of reminiscing for a mother and daughter.

Poppy’s having a splendid time playing with her toy bunny—until Bunny’s dress rips. “Now I’ll have to throw it away,” Poppy complains. Not so fast! Mom leads Poppy to the sewing room. Opening an old trunk, she pulls out fabric scraps, each of which belonged to a different family member. Seeing a piece from Granddad’s paisley tie, Mom says, “He still loves to dress up.” “And wear lots of colors and have a dance party with me!” Poppy adds. Next, Mom finds pieces from a striped T-shirt that Dad got in Paris (“Your daddy loves adventures!”), the plaid sundress Nana used to wear while gardening, Poppy’s aunt’s chevron scarf, and Mom’s lace wedding dress. Finally, Mom takes Poppy’s measurements, lays out the pieces of fabric—including one from Bunny’s star-covered dress—and gets to work. Readers will be charmed by Mom’s creation: a patchwork dress for the child and a matching outfit for Bunny. Brimming with warmth, this tale imparts valuable messages about reusing resources and honoring family memories. Semmer’s appealingly simple digital collage illustrations themselves have a patchwork feel, with textures that pop off the page. Poppy and her family present Black; characters are depicted with varying shades of brown.

A heartening tribute to family—and an inspired example of upcycling.