Different Like Coco

Presents the life of a French fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Overcoming being poor, orphaned and a strict upbringing, Chanel became a name that defined her times, women, history, and fashion.

A generation of women fell in love with the designs of Coco Chanel. Different Like Coco (ages 4-8), written and illustrated by Elizabeth Matthews, charts the course of her rise from a cold and colorless orphanage situated among medieval ruins, to making an indelible mark on Western culture and fashion. With a flair for the unique she was much more than the legendary inventor of "the little black dress."

Elizabeth Matthews makes her chic picture-book debut with this lively look at a legendary woman. Says the author-illustrator, "When I look in my closet, it’s easy to appreciate what Coco Chanel accomplished for herself, for women, for fashion, and, of course, for little black dresses everywhere." A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Elizabeth Matthews lives in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

The rags-to-riches story of Coco Chanel plays out in a wonderful picture-book biography as full of style and spirit as its heroine.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was always different. And she vowed to prove that being different was an advantage! Poor, skinny, and orphaned, Coco stubbornly believed that she was as good as the wealthier girls of Paris. Tapping into her creativity and her sewing skills, she began making clothes that suited her (and her pocketbook) — and soon a new generation of independent working women craved her sleek, comfortable, and practical designs. Now an icon of fashion and culture, Coco Chanel continues to inspire young readers, showing just how far a person can come with spunk, determination, and flair.

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Distributor: Random House, Inc.
Publication Date: 02-13-2007
Pages: 40
Measurements: 10.96in X 9.5in X .35in X .99lb