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When I was first learning to read one of my favorite stories was the book The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes.  I recently reread it and found myself surprised by its timeless quality.  The message of acceptance is universal and even kids today can relate to the girls in this story.

Wanda is different from the other girls.  She has a last name that is hard to pronounce, lives in the poor part of town and only wears one faded blue dress to school.  One day Wanda approaches a group of girls admiring the new dress of a girl from class and Wanda mentions that she has 100 dresses in her closet all lined up.  Of course Wanda’s fellow students do not believe her because she one wears the one and she becomes an object of scorn by her fellow classmates.  The other girls make a game out of Wanda and her 100 dresses asking everyday, “How many dresses do you have,Wanda?”

There is one girl, Maddie, who has guilt about her treatment of Wanda.  Though she never says anything during the Dresses Game, she still feels bad.  Maddie realizes that by simply being a bystander, she has contributed to the hurt of another person.  Maddie vows never to allow the girls to tease Wanda again. 

A week later at school the drawing contest results are announced and Wanda is the winner.  She drew 100 different dresses and they are all beautifully lined up along the classroom walls.  All of Wanda’s fellow pupils realize that Wanda did have 100 dresses all lined up in her closet.  They marvel at her creativity even though she only owned one real dress. 

What I love best about this story is the capability of Maddie.  She comes to her conclusions all on her own.  There are no major adults featured and it is the children who champion their own causes.  And I love the inventiveness of Wanda.  She knows adversity and still continues to try her best at life.  I remember after reading The Hundred Dresses, I made my own drawings of dresses so that I too could own 100 dresses all neatly lined up in my own closet.  I recommend this book to all second grade girls because of its relevancy and adaptability.

Hey All, we’re countin’ down to Easter. Dandi’s resting up for the big event! Our spring and summer clothes are AMAZING!!! Some of the most incredible fabrics  ever!!!  Giant Earthday event  coming up on Saturday, April 25th from 10 -2.  Join us for facepainting and much more!. Thanks soooo much to all our customers who are  so supportive of our store. If there’s any suggestions you have for us we would love to hear from you. Our goal is to be the best possible store ever!! We appreciate you and your kids.

Happy Spring,

Joanne!

Soooooo……. here’s how it works at CP/DT’s after Christmas.  Over the holidays our store is full to the brim with all kinds of toys,books, shoes, and clothes. If we’ve had a good holiday the store is looking a little less full. That’s a good thing!!!! It’s especially good because inventory comes next. Every single thing in the store is counted manually, yes, that’s right!!!!! Then comes Toy Fair in New York City!!!Woohoo!!!! Then we get to see allllll the new and wonderful toys in the world and choose just the most perfect ones to adorn our shelves. Sooooo if we look a tad bit low right now, just hold on. Already our outrageously awesome spring clothes are arriving and brightening up  the store and it’s soooo much fun!!!! As far as our books go… they’re NEVER LOW!!!  WE take great pride in having the best children’s and young adult books anywhere! So come on down and let us help you find  something  for the kids to help pass these long winter hours and and maybe a new suit for your next vaca.

P.S.  Schleich is in!!!!!! 

Ciao for now,

Jo Jo

Some of my favorite books ever written are intended for young adult readers.  These books manage talk about some very important truths while creating relatable stories for all ages (which is a lot more than most adult books achieve!)  My favorites always have unlikely heroes and heroines faced with challenging situations, whether in their own home or on another planet.

Here are a few of my favorites that demonstrate superior story-telling:

• The Phantom Tollbooth: Milo, a boy who never knew what to do with himself, suddenly lands in The Lands Beyond where the Old City of Wisdom is the capital.  Milo meets a watchdog who is literally a clock crossed with a dog and with his help they venture into the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the Princesses Rhyme and Reason to bring peace to the Kingdom of Wisdom.
• A Wrinkle in Time: Meg, her brother Charles-Wallace, and their friend Calvin must rescue Meg’s father from across the far reaches of the universe with the help of three bizarre women: Mrs Who, Mrs Which and Mrs Whatsit.
• The Long Winter: Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this book chronicles the struggles Laura’s family and friends face when a huge snow storm wipes everything out.  It is a great story of meeting life’s challenges with ingenuity and forbearance.  Plus, it’s inspired by real events!

It was really hard to come to work today. My family was glued to the tv and I kept stalling. Then I grabbed my speakers and headed out the door. Ange and David were already at the store and Ange and I hugged and screamed and plugged in the speakers. She got us on line, David tuned in on our store radio and we watched and listened in awe. A few customers watched with us as Ange and I pulled tissues from the box,dabbing our tears arm in arm and experienced hope and pride. What a great day at Clothes Pony Dandelion Toys. We will remain broadcasting it over our pa system so come on in and enjoy it with us!!!!!

Hello!  Welcome to our Blog!  This is where we share with you all the inner goings on at Clothes Pony & Dandelion Toys!  Jo Jo is our manager and she knows everyone who comes into our store and everything about the store!  David builds bookshelves, ferris wheels, plasma cars and so much more.  Sally makes sure we are well stocked with Robeez, See Kai Run,  Schleich critters, and all the other fun things in our store.  That’s our management team.  Here’s a little bit about some of our staff members.   Kimberly loves to read and is currently working her way through our Young Adult section. Angela loves picture books and does Story Time each week.  We are graced with two retired school teachers, Nancy and Joyce, to help the many grandparents that wander into our store.  Sarah is finishing up her degree at CSU and loves to play with Angela’s kids.  Kate has worked with us through her high school years and now that she’s in college, spends her breaks working at the store.  Though Nadia’s kids have grown out of the store, she still loves to help families find toys, clothes and accessories.

Here we will share our thoughts about our favorite toys, books, clothes, and games!  So check back often for updates!