Fancy Nancy meets Martha Stewart in Crafty Chloe, the adorable DIY star of a new picture book series!
When another girl has already purchased the most perfect birthday gift for Chloe’s friend Emma, Chloe decides she’ll make a present—something you can’t buy in a store. But crafting isn’t easy, and it’s beginning to look like she won’t have a great idea in time. Fortunately, with a good doodle session and a whole lot of glitter to inspire her, Chloe figures out just the thing to save the day—and with a little help from her trusty glue gun, she just might save a friendship, too!
This inventive and irresistible picture book will have young readers itching to reach for their googly eyes.
Check out CraftyChloe.com to learn how to make the cool crafts featured in the book!
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
The Trials and Tribulations of a Creative Girl
By VReviews
Chloe is a wonderful character. She's clever, talented, sweet, and industrious. She sees opportunities to fashion jewelry, hats, cloths, you-name-it from all kinds of leftover scraps, and household materials. She doesn't quite fit into doing the usual activities of young school girls (sports, video games, dance), but she creates, has fun, and has a great friend in Emma.It's planning for Emma's birthday gift when things begin to go awry for Chloe. Enter London, the classic girl who seems to be up on all the latest trends, and who has a knack in using a tone of voice, and lifted eyebrow to invoke doubt, and insecurity in those around her. Through a series of mishaps, Chloe is put to the test as she navigates the minefield of being true to herself, vs. the expectations of friends. This is a fantastic true-to-life picture book that will provide and provoke great classroom discussions about how we treat one another. Outstanding illustrations full of color, humor, and nuance.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Disappointed--I am returning this book
By Cruller
My niece and my friend's children all love to craft, so I was excited to see a bright, colorful, starred-review picture book about crafting. But I found some of the text a real turn off. Author DiPucchio states that Chloe is "very good at...making stuff," but prefaces this statement with negatives like "Chloe isn't very good at sports" and "she had the grace of a camel in roller blades"? Whether intentional or not, there seems to be an implication that crafting is for children who aren't good at other activities. The book is very charming in places, for example we learn that "anything becomes less boring with googly eyes on it" and see a picture of a younger brother covered in the crafting staple. In another part of the book Chloe has blue "Chicken Pops," the "washable kind." Unfortunately, the charming parts are overshadowed by further negativity. When Chloe announces her plan to make a handmade gift, a schoolmate named London "wrinkle[s] up her nose" and with a "snorty laugh" declares "Well, good luck with that!" I understand that sometimes it's important to introduce children to real life scenarios, even when they're unpleasant. However, the social interactions of the book have a "mean girls" edge and lack the nuance of Russell and Lillian Hoban's slowly unfolding tale A Bargain for Frances. Little kids absorb language like sponges, and I would rather not introduce snarky phrases to the 3- to 6-year old crowd. I also don't find it realistic that the trendy, unsympathetic London would instantly become friends with kind Chloe at the end of the story.On a bright note, the illustrations are lovely. There are a lot of nice touches, like end papers covered with hand-drawn scissors and rigatoni necklaces. Ross' expressive pictures capture dad's discombobulation and mom's lack of sufficient sleep. Ross infuses Chloe with personality by adding touches like Chloe squinting one eye while concentrating on gluing a project.Let me be clear, this is by no means a bad book. Many children will find it charming. However, considering some of the areas that could have been handled better, I'm just surprised that this received so many positive reviews. For me it takes a back seat to true winners like Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.Amazing! Delightful! and Crafty!
By Amazon Customer
Oh. My. Goodness.My 5 year old received this book for her birthday and, after reading it, I want a copy just for me. It is delightful in every way AND teaches a number of valuable lessons without jamming it down children's throats (a pet peeve of mine).The illustrations are wonderful and the story is a delight.A very definite 5 STARS.
