Minaudierès is "a fancy French word for jewel-like handbags." Who could have imagined that a young Jewish woman who grew up in Hungary during the Holocaust would become known as the "Queen of Minaudierѐs"? In Parrots, Pugs, and Pixie Dust, Deborah Blumenthal (author of other fashion-themed books Polka Dot Parade and Fancy Party Gowns) celebrates Judith Leiber, the "queen" who designed glittering clutches in unusual and interesting shapes like "preening peacocks" or "burgers and fries."
Leiber first worked as the only woman in a "handbag house," then moved to a uniform factory where she created bags "with any scraps she could find." Her true career began in the U.S. after she met and married an American soldier. Blumenthal glosses over several decades in the U.S., but the magical quality of Judith's road to success is evident--First Ladies, Queen Elizabeth II and Beyoncé have all carried her creations.
Although the picture book's general mood is upbeat, Blumenthal does not shy away from the grimness of World War II, when Judith and her family first worked as slave laborers "sewing army uniforms," then "were forced to hide out in a dark basement." The text is accompanied by Masha D'yans's (Polka Dot Parade) somber watercolor illustrations, which make clear to young readers that most Jews were not as lucky as Judith. With Leiber's romantic interlude, the palette changes from the muted colors of war to the soft pastels of a new Europe and new love, featuring standout handbags rendered in Seurat-like pointillist images. Children interested in fashion design and creating art will likely find Leiber's story inspiring. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer