Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Jun. 1, 2003 (Vol. 99, No. 19))
Young Ella Sarah is a kid with flair, and she has a special outfit in mind: "my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat." Mom, Dad, and Big Sister offer alternate ensembles, complaining that Ella Sarah's outfit is "too dressy" and "too silly," but Ella Sarah insists on her own choice and finally manages to pull everything on. Then the doorbell rings. In walks a crowd of Ella Sarah's young friends, dressed in equally flamboyant clothes, and the glamorous kids enjoy a tea party. With minimal words and her signature art marked by bright, bold prints, Chodos-Irvine perfectly captures a universal childhood struggle. Preschoolers will enjoy chanting along with Ella Sarah's often repeated list of clothing, and the illustrations create strong mood and movement with just a few opaque shapes, beautifully conveying Ella Sarah's gestures, from pre-tantrum stuffed-animal tosses to the wrestling war of getting dressed to her smug tea pouring at the story's end. Young children will easily see themselves in Ella Sarah's fierce defiance, and they'll delight in her gleefully bold fashion statement. A perfect read-aloud for the dress-up crowd. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2003, Harcourt, $16. PreS. Starred Review

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2004)
Many families will recognize the dynamic of this picture book featuring an assertive preschooler determined to express herself. Ella Sarah knows just what she wants to wear when she gets up one morning: her pink polka-dot pants, her dress with orange-and-green flowers, her purple-and-blue striped socks, her yellow shoes, and her red hat. But no one else approves of her choice, and each family member in turn suggests an alternative. The dress her mother suggests looks just like the one she herself is wearing. Her athletic father promotes clothes with a sportier theme. Her older sister offers the overalls she has outgrown. "No!" shouts Ella Sarah, whose determination mounts as her frustration grows. Ella Sarah prevails in this visually dazzling picture book featuring author/artist Margaret Chodos-Irvine's artwork created with a variety of printmaking techniques. CCBC categories: Picture Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers. 2003, Harcourt, 32 pages, $16.00. Ages 3-5.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 9))
A very determined young lady knows precisely what she wants to wear. Ella Sarah is in her jammies (with a pattern of white sheep on bright blue) and announcing that she wants to wear "my pink polka-dot pants, my dress with orange-and-green flowers, my purple-and-blue striped socks, my yellow shoes, and my red hat." Mom, Dad, and big sister have other ideas for her attire, but Ella Sarah repeats her desired outfit emphatically at each suggestion. When readers see her friends gathered for a tea party, it's clear that they all knew just what they wanted to wear-a riot of mismatched color and pattern. Chodos-Irvine uses printmaking for these fabulously patterned images, where wallpaper, rugs, and toys create wonderful rhythms. Ella Sarah's body language, which goes from determined to dejected to defiant to dogmatic, contrasts with the posturing of her parents and sibling, seen from Ella Sarah's point of view, heads cut off by the picture plane. A wonderfully realized artistic conceit with a storyline guaranteed to tickle the fancy of baby fashionistas and their families. 2003, Harcourt, $16.00. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 6. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2003)
Ella Sarah is determined to put on a wild, colorful outfit that includes her "pink polka-dot pants" and her "dress with orange-and-green flowers." Her family tries to change her mind, but Ella Sarah knows what she's doing; soon her friends arrive for a tea party, all wildly dressed up themselves. The agreeable story is illustrated with an attractive mix of patterns and colors. Category: Preschool. 2003, Harcourt, 40pp, $16.00. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Terri Christian (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 3))
Ella Sarah is a little girl trying to get dressed, but everyone in her family is trying to tell her what to wear. She already knows what she wants to wear, but her family members do not seem to understand that. This book is great for those who know what they want whether anybody else agrees with them or not. It brings out the individualism in all of us. It's great to be different! Fiction. Grades K-2. 2003, Harcourt, Unpaged., $16.00. Ages 5 to 8.