Amazon Prime Free Trial
FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button and confirm your Prime free trial.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited FREE Prime delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
-20% $14.39$14.39
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
$8.62$8.62
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: FindAnyBook
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli Hardcover – Picture Book, February 6, 2018
Purchase options and add-ons
A dazzling picture book biography of one of the world's most influential designers, Elsa Schiaparelli.
Elsa dared to be different, and her story will not only dazzle, it will inspire the artist and fashionista in everyone who reads it. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.
By the 1930s Elsa Schiaparelli had captivated the fashion world in Paris, but before that, she was a little girl in Rome who didn’t feel pretty at all. Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is the enchanting story for young readers of how a young girl used her imagination and emerged from plain to extraordinary.
As a young girl in Rome, Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) felt “brutta” (ugly) and searched all around her for beauty. Seeing the colors of Rome’s flower market one day, young Elsa tried to plant seeds in her ears and nose, hoping to blossom like a flower. All she got was sick, but from that moment, she discovered her own wild imagination.
In the 1920 and '30s, influenced by her friends in the surrealist art movement, Schiaparelli created a vast collection of unique fashion designs—hats shaped like shoes, a dress adorned with lobsters, gloves with fingernails, a dress with drawers and so many more. She mixed her own bold colors and invented her own signature shades, including shocking pink.
Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is a stunning and sophisticated picture book biography that follows Schiaparelli’s life from birth and childhood to height of success.
Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad (creators of Julia, Child) have gorgeously interpreted Schiaparelli’s life. Maclear tells a lyrical story with moments both poignant and humorous and Morstad’s elegant imagery saturates the pages with Schiaparelli-inspired shapes and colors.
Informative backmatter and suggested further reading included.
- Reading age4 - 8 years
- Print length40 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade levelPreschool - 3
- Lexile measure670L
- Dimensions9.45 x 0.31 x 11.42 inches
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication dateFebruary 6, 2018
- ISBN-109780062447616
- ISBN-13978-0062447616
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Review
“The duo behind Julia, Child offers a bold first-person biography of designer Elsa Schiaparelli.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Morstad’s vivid mixed-media have an imaginativeness to match Schiaparelli’s surrealistic designs (playing with a beloved uncle as a child, she soars amid the stars and planets of the cosmos) and feature splashes of Schiaparelli’s trademark shade of pink...[It’s] a dramatic tribute worthy of its audacious subject.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“With beautiful, richly colorful, and playful artwork nicely evoking the character of its subject, this lyrical biography of Elsa Schiaparelli offers picture-book readers an enlightening introduction to the wildly inventive and influential fashion designer.” — Booklist
“Morstad’s delicate watercolor illustrations do a great job of depicting Schiaparelli’s designs, but subtle hints—pink flowers composed of dresses, shoes, and gloves, for instance—emphasize how Schiaparelli’s view of the world shaped her artwork.” — Booklist
“Little ones who “dare to be different” will be inspired.” — Booklist
“In full scenes and vignettes, Morstad’s mixed-media paintings capture the lanky, classy panache of Schiap and her designs.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Using Schiaparelli herself as narrator, this picture-book biography tells the story of her unsettled childhood and rise to premier couturier for a young audience.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Together Maclear and Morstad have created a picture book that, like Elsa’s art, is “daring, different, and whole” and that reminds us that “together, we BLOOM and BLOOM.”” — Jennifer Oleinik, Shelf Awareness (blog)
“Morstad’s (When Green Becomes Tomatoes) lush illustrations match Maclear’s enlightening narrative... [her] illustrations rise and fall with Elsa’s emotional and artistic journey.” — Jennifer Oleinik, Shelf Awareness (blog)
From the Back Cover
Beauty . . .
Color . . .
Doubts . . .
As a little girl in Rome, Elsa Schiaparelli was told she was not pretty. What is beauty? Elsa wondered as she grew older. So she sought out beauty around her and found it everywhere: in the colors and scents of the Rome flower market, in the garden, and in the attic of her family home, buried in a chest of old dresses. She found affection from her dear uncle in Milano.
“Voliamo,” said Uncle Giovanni.
“Let’s fly!”
And Elsa did fly! “Schiap,” as she later called herself, developed an artist’s eye and imagination. These bloomed in the wildly imaginative dresses, hats, shoes, and jewelry that made her an important name in fashion. Defining beauty on her own creative and rebellious terms was the key to Elsa Schiaparelli’s happiness and success—and is still seen today in her legacy of wild imagination. Daring and different, Elsa Schiaparelli used art to make fashion, and it was quite marvelous.
About the Author
Kyo Maclear is the author of many books for children, including Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, and some for adults. When she was a little girl, she wanted very badly to be a fashion designer. She spent countless hours drawing odd dresses, including a very special cloud dress. Her style muses include her mother, Patti Smith, the residents of Moominvalley, and anyone with a sense of casual and androgynous flair. Though she loved writing about Schiaparelli’s signature color, shocking pink, Kyo’s own favorite color is blue. She plants her garden with flowers in all shades of blue, and in spring when they bloom, it’s a blue extravaganza. Kyo makes her home in Toronto, where she lives with her two sons and husband, a musician. You can find her at www.kyomaclearkids.com.
Julie Morstad is the author and illustrator of Today and How To. She has illustrated many books for children, including Swan, The Dress and the Girl, This Is Sadie, and Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Julie makes her home in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she lives with her family. You can find her at www.juliemorstad.com.
Product details
- ASIN : 0062447610
- Publisher : HarperCollins; Illustrated edition (February 6, 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 40 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780062447616
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062447616
- Reading age : 4 - 8 years
- Lexile measure : 670L
- Grade level : Preschool - 3
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 9.45 x 0.31 x 11.42 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #381,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Kyo Maclear was born in London, England, and moved to Toronto at the age of four. Her most recent book is Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets (Scribner 2023). Her book Birds Art Life, was published in seven territories and became a Canadian #1 bestseller. Kyo received a PhD from York University in the environmental humanities. Her essays and art criticism have been published in Orion Magazine, Asia Art Pacific, LitHub, Brick, The Millions, The Guardian, Lion's Roar, The Globe and Mail, among other publications. She is also a children’s author, editor, and teacher.
Customer reviews
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star5 star89%7%5%0%0%89%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star4 star89%7%5%0%0%7%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star3 star89%7%5%0%0%5%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star2 star89%7%5%0%0%0%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star1 star89%7%5%0%0%0%
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book enjoyable and informative. They appreciate the beautiful illustrations and nice message that teaches to reach for their goals.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging and informative.
"...This book is breathtaking and enjoyable as well as informative. My 7 year old daughter loves it and wants us to read it together every night." Read more
"Love this book! Beautiful illustrations and nice message. It's a favorite." Read more
"Great picture book biography on Elsa Schiaparelli. Thoroughly enjoyed it...." Read more
"Amazing!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's message. They find it empowering and informative.
"...This book is breathtaking and enjoyable as well as informative. My 7 year old daughter loves it and wants us to read it together every night." Read more
"Love this book! Beautiful illustrations and nice message. It's a favorite." Read more
"We love this book! It is so empowering and teaches to reach for the stars!" Read more
Reviews with images
From brutta to bella, the life story of Elsa Schiaparelli
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2019As a former student of fashion and now a working designer, I have always admired Schiaparelli. This book is breathtaking and enjoyable as well as informative. My 7 year old daughter loves it and wants us to read it together every night.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2020Love this book! Beautiful illustrations and nice message. It's a favorite.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018I bought this book for my daughter who has an unusual taste in fashion. I thought Bloom would encourage her to keep it up! My daughter LOVED Bloom. It's beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2019Beautiful book!
- Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019We love this book! It is so empowering and teaches to reach for the stars!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2019Great picture book biography on Elsa Schiaparelli. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommend it if you or your kiddos are the least bit interested in fashion.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019recipient delighted to receive this gift
- Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018An ugly duckling story within the fashion world. Kyo Maclear's Bloom is a story of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. This biographical picture book is told in first person narrative, as Maclear shares the story of Ella Schiaparelli. The illustrations, by Julie Morstad are absolutely stunning, adding to the beauty of the words written upon the page.
The book begins with the birth of Ella, September 10,1890 in Roma, Italy. Her parents wanted a boy; leaving Ella to feel indifferent, alone, and unwanted. Her older sister, mama's favorite was bella and Ella was just brutta (ugly). Yet, at a very young age she sought out the beauty that surrounded her; color and joy.
At the age of seven she asked, "What makes something beautiful?" This question led to her life's mission to create beauty in the world and planted a seed of wild imagination. Ella's motto was, Dare to Be Different and that she was. Throughout the remainder of the story, Maclear shares how her uniqueness and imagination caused her to become one of the world's influential fashion designers and left the idea that she was brutta; seeing the beauty of the art reflected in her work.
I was delighted to read this book of Ella Schiaparelli and learn about her life before and after becoming a famous person of fashion and fame. This is a great read aloud to share with students to show them of a person who lived out their childhood dreams and dared to be different. An inspiration to let go of what others think of you and choose to BLOOM!
This book was read as a part of my #BookaDay Summer Reading Challenge, you can learn more about this here. Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on social media to follow my journey through the books I read. Until next time .....
5.0 out of 5 stars From brutta to bella, the life story of Elsa SchiaparelliAn ugly duckling story within the fashion world. Kyo Maclear's Bloom is a story of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. This biographical picture book is told in first person narrative, as Maclear shares the story of Ella Schiaparelli. The illustrations, by Julie Morstad are absolutely stunning, adding to the beauty of the words written upon the page.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018
The book begins with the birth of Ella, September 10,1890 in Roma, Italy. Her parents wanted a boy; leaving Ella to feel indifferent, alone, and unwanted. Her older sister, mama's favorite was bella and Ella was just brutta (ugly). Yet, at a very young age she sought out the beauty that surrounded her; color and joy.
At the age of seven she asked, "What makes something beautiful?" This question led to her life's mission to create beauty in the world and planted a seed of wild imagination. Ella's motto was, Dare to Be Different and that she was. Throughout the remainder of the story, Maclear shares how her uniqueness and imagination caused her to become one of the world's influential fashion designers and left the idea that she was brutta; seeing the beauty of the art reflected in her work.
I was delighted to read this book of Ella Schiaparelli and learn about her life before and after becoming a famous person of fashion and fame. This is a great read aloud to share with students to show them of a person who lived out their childhood dreams and dared to be different. An inspiration to let go of what others think of you and choose to BLOOM!
This book was read as a part of my #BookaDay Summer Reading Challenge, you can learn more about this here. Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on social media to follow my journey through the books I read. Until next time .....
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
- schaneReviewed in Canada on March 19, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Beautiful book, love it!
- Victoria MurganteReviewed in Canada on January 14, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Beautiful book and genuinely excellent illustrations—I love biographical picture books and this is a very, very nice one. I recommend it!
- K.B.Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Sweet inspiring story for everyone.