I Like Old Clothes
Knopf Books for Young Readers • 2012 Edition • 32 pages • ASIN: B008NW6NOY
2012 illustrations by Patrice Barton
A Kindle version is available. The print version has limited availability.
A celebration of hand-me-downs and other “gently-used” garments has even more relevance these days as recycling takes on renewed importance. The fun of “Clothes with a history / Clothes with a mystery / Sweaters and shirts / That are brother-and-sistery” is recognized as family and friends parade across the pages in their worn-again finery.
Originally published by Knopf in 1976 (with illustrations by Jacqueline Chwast), this poem—an exuberant celebration of hand-me-down clothes—is just as relevant and accessible today as it was over 30 years ago.
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Videos
Read by Kyra Pullen, rec leader at Simpson Recreation Center
I Like Old Clothes book trailer was made for CI 3401W Diversity in Children’s Literature at the University of Minnesota.
For Educators
Reviews
Booklist
As the song says, everything old is new again—at least it is to a young girl who revels in collecting and dressing up in hand-me-downs and secondhand finery ... A marvelous example of how a little creativity and imagination can elevate everyday economy into something much more fun.
—Kristen McKulski
School Library Journal
“The imaginative child’s enthusiasm is infectious–kids might well be inspired to ask for secondhand outfits themselves…. The overall effect is a visual celebration of old clothes.”
starred review
Kirkus Reviews
“Originally published with illustrations by Jacqueline Chwast, here Hoberman’s 1976 poem gets a makeover courtesy of illustrator Barton. ... Barton’s digitally rendered mixed-media illustrations capture well the warmth of Hoberman’s message, using wispy lines and softly accented shading to imbue these garments with such life that they actually seem capable of some determinism in their hand-me-down trajectory ... With Barton’s nuanced illustrations, Hoberman’s 36-year-old hand-me-down poem defines sustainability for the next generation. ”