Mary Had a Little Glam

by Tammi Sauer, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator)

This little Mary has STYLE! In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some of childhood's most beloved characters go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear, too) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's school friends look fantastic in their finery. But are they now too well dressed for recess? Not to worry—Mary always shows her flair for what to wear!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, School, Nursery Rhymes, Fiction, Fashion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Tammi Sauer is the author of Cowboy Camp (Sterling, 2005), Chicken Dance (Sterling, 2009), Mostly Monsterly (Paula Wiseman/S&S, 2010), the forthcoming Princess-in-Training (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and something that's currently Top Secret.

Tammi and her family live in Oklahoma with one dog, two geckos, and a tank full of random fish.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb, the story discusses a little girl who is all about the accessories, boas, and the strapped shoes. She helps her classmates find their inner beauty, only to discover a major hurdle. Once she is able to overcome this, all is solved and happiness ensues. Neo liked the sing-song nature, but did not get why people have to be so weird about fashion and flashy glasses.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter LOVES this book. I read it multiple times a day.
She reads it to herself, memorized the words, multiple times a day.
For a time I had to crochet her a purse big enough to fit her favorite book in it.
It's taped up and a bit battered but well loved.
My granddaughter loves to both dress up fancy and play outside and get filthy.
So this is perfect for her!
And all little kids who are a bit fancy but also like to get dirty.
It's all about balance🤷🏽‍♀️
I adore the illustrations and see the illustrator is also an author.
I plan to check out Vanessa's books for sure!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A familiar story, but without the lamb and all of the glam! The kids enjoyed the story, and all the rhythm and the rhymes. I especially loved how awesome Mary is. She's a strong, smart young lady with a hell of a lot of fashion sense. I WISH I HAD THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A KID!!! There were NO books that featured really glamorous little black girls, and I would have loved seeing that as a child. I was often the only black kid in class, and I was made fun of a lot in elementary school. That is one of the many reasons that representation is so important!

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun retelling of a well known nursery rhyme that absolutely glams it up! I really enjoyed the spin on the well known rhyme and the message at the end of the story.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, Mary has a boatload of glam, but she's willing to let it all go if need be. And that girl makes PLANS!

Can't wait to share this with my littles and find all the rhymes!

[Zsade Hoe EDUC378]

Text-to-Self Connection:
This book reminds me of my mother. She has always been very expressive with the clothing she wears. She loves wearing "wow statements" and accessories. I would love to add this book to my collection.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!

[JoyAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved her confidence and personality. I enjoyed how she helped out her classmates but also how they threw it all aside at the end to play and be kids.

[Bryn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO cute!

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! Sometimes less is more!

[Amanda Blau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Nancy readers meet Mary - she is delightful and adores accessories.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is the best. Who wouldn't want to be glammed up by her? I love the diversity in this book. Tons of skin colours and gender presentations, it's fabulous. And everyone gets to have fun getting messy at the end too! Glam doesn't equal boring, you know. Plus the rhyming is great!

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mary Had a Little Glam” is a children’s book written by Tammi Sauer and delightfully illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. This fun and stylish twist on several beloved nursery rhymes features budding diva Mary, who jazzes up not only her own attire but gives much needed spice to the outfits of her fellow students at Mother Goose Elementary, including Snack Helper Georgie Porgie, Sheep Keeper Little Bo Peep, and Messenger Little Boy Blue. The final lesson of having one’s attire appropriate for the activity reminds us that it’s important to avoid being so stylish that we can’t enjoy ourselves. I love the glittery title and had such fun reading the rhymes and I think this cute book will provide hours of entertainment and stimulate discussion, especially with its whimsical view of familiar childhood figures.

© Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary is a little glamorous. She has pants with fancy prints, scarves that flutter in the breeze, necklaces and hair bows along with bracelets and amazing sunglasses. Everywhere she goes she is not hard to see. When school started, Mary went all out with all of her amazing things to wear. She didn’t have a problem sharing her glam with the students and even the teachers. When it was time for recess the students realized they were just to fancy to play. Do you think that their glamorous attire would stop them?

This fun read is great for beginner readers. Lively and colorful illustrations depict the stories theme in a hilarious way. Parents and teachers can take the opportunity to discuss self-identity, and self-expression.

[Belinda Grimbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The color and character of both the words and illustrations takes us through each page creating an inclusive and festive dress up party! The pages are illustrated to the brim with action, smiles and fancy costumes, and the words glitz and glam us throughout with cleverly chosen adjectives and even with bold font highlighting for read aloud fun!

My takeaway as an author/illustrator? Fill the page! Play with the way words look in terms of font and function.

#picturebook #picturebookfont #pbillustration #picturebookillustration #picturebookauthor

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Glam Mary reminds me of my niece. With a new dress, her fingernails must match. Which dress should I get? How about both!?
Totally cute retelling of Mary and her little lamb, except this Mary accessorizes.
Her classmates aren't that glam and Mary helps jazz up their wardrobes.But when it's time to play, they aren't ready for that.
In the end, less can sometimes be more. You just have to know the moment.

[Mary Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

young children's book with delightful, lively illustrations.

Curious bc saw a very angry woman talking as if it would pollute kid's minds.

Got the idea she was anti-LBGTQ, but i saw nothing about that in the book --not that it wouldn't be ok --just a cute little girl who liked to dress up.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a welcome break from relentless pinkalicious princesses. There is no doubt that Mary exudes glamour, pink, and sparkles. She boas up, accessorizes, and makes over her entire classroom. The ending is what makes this an especial delight, however.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging illustrations, rhyming text, and a fashionistas sensibility will, I suspect, make this Mary a hit with my patrons.

[Casandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute rhyming book that shows that accessorizing has its place.
Fancy
Rhyming
School

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts as version of Mary Had a Little Lamb and ends with a story about a girly girl who knows how to make friends and have fun. MC has dimension. Cute and upbeat.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Had a Little Glam is a poem book modeled after the classic poem Mary Had a Little Lamb with the twist of Mary being a little fashionista who takes glam wherever she goes. The rhyme scheme used is sure to interest the children and is written in age appropriate text that the children should easily be able to understand and also notes word that could possibly be new in bold and different colors to draw attention to them. Although the plot is not one that I would consider rich or thick the story clearly presents a problem and a solution in the text. This isMary Had a Little Glam is a poem book modeled after the classic poem Mary Had a Little Lamb with the twist of Mary being a little fashionista who takes glam wherever she goes. The rhyme scheme used is sure to interest the children and is written in age appropriate text that the children should easily be able to understand and also notes word that could possibly be new in bold and different colors to draw attention to them. Although the plot is not one that I would consider rich or thick the story clearly presents a problem and a solution in the text. This is written as the problem Mary and her classmates face when trying to play outside with all of their glam and decide to remove it and get comfortable. The illustrations play a great supporting role for the story giving a lot of details to the ‘divine’ glam so much so that a thorough picture walk could be used to get an idea of what the story is about. Although the book stars Mary, an African American girl several other cultural groups are represented within her class mates. Overall, this book is a great addition to my “Black Girl Magic” text set simply because it is a feel-good story that has a brown girl as the main character and is a good source of representation.
written as the problem Mary and her classmates face when trying to play outside with all of their glam and decide to remove it and get comfortable. The illustrations play a great supporting role for the story giving a lot of details to the ‘divine’ glam so much so that a thorough picture walk could be used to get an idea of what the story is about. Although the book stars Mary, an African American girl several other cultural groups are represented within her class mates. Overall, this book is a great addition to my “Black Girl Magic” text set simply because it is a feel-good story that has a brown girl as the main character and is a good source of representation.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever take on nursery rhymes for young fashionistas.

At a perilous time in the American economy, when China has begun to dump the millions in American bonds that China holds -- it's a good time to note how bad our financial and political future may become . . .

On this day, it seems appalling to me to train little kids to become fashionistas. (More appalling than ever, because I never thought the responsibility of a parent or caregiver was to teach children to excel at conspicuous consumption.)

When picture book age, kids will never be smarter than they are now. But if they believe messages from the vanity culture; even worse, if those messages are encouraged by parents; the future might be worse for them than it has to be.

RATING THIS BOOK

Unless I absolutely love or loathe a book, my policy is to rate it in terms of my imagined response of the intended readers.

These readers and caregivers are into filling children's heads with vanity and a taste for luxe living. They would undoubtedly give this cute book FIVE STARS.

As for this Goodreader, mostly I feel very, very sad. Life can be about service, about character. Or we can while away our time with frippery. Each of us can choose, that's the consoling part.

[Kelly Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Had a Little Glam is a mother goose style poetry book for children ages 3-7 years old. This book tells the story of a young girl, Mary, that loves fashion and spreads her expertise around town. This story follows an ABCB rhyme scheme making it easily flow. I enjoyed the illustrations as well. The main character Mary is a young black girl. It can be harder to find stories that offer representation for certain minority groups so it is always nice to see a character with a deep skin tone and kinky curly hair. Though initially Mary’s glam seems to be too much it comes in handy when she and her classmates want to play on a muddy day. They use all their extra accessories to protect themselves from the mud and play away the day. The book ends with the line “sometimes less is more” showing children that it's okay to tone it down sometimes. Though I'm usually not drawn to nursery rhymes, this title and cover intrigued me and I'm sure it will appeal to children the same way.

[thtBlkLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bio: I personally did not make the connection to the mother goose nursery rhyme, despite it being obvious. That rhyme was not something I grew up with but after reading the book a few times and reading the bio and reviews it was an "aha/duh" moment. Overall this is a great book, even without understanding the reference. Mary is a glamorous lil one who goes with the flow and spreads her creativity and flair with everyone she encounters

Illustration: The illustration was what really drew me to this book. As always I strive to look for representation in books and a glamorous black girl fit that bill perfectly. Vanessa Brantly-Newton did a great job illustrating this book. Not only did it feel authentic and inclusive, it felt fun and light.

Strengths: Illustrations, diversity, reimagining a classic

(Writing these for an assignment and figured I would share them too)

[Gina Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Had a Little Glam is a heartwarming picture book that sparkles with fun, confidence, and friendship. This charming story reimagines the classic nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with a stylish twist — Mary loves fashion and isn’t afraid to show it! But beyond the glitter and glam, this book carries a meaningful message about kindness, self-expression, and lifting others up.

Mary’s confidence shines as she helps her friends at school find their own flair. Instead of keeping her sparkle to herself, she shares it — encouraging her classmates to feel good about who they are and how they look. By the end, Mary reminds readers that true “glam” comes not just from what you wear, but from how you make others feel.

Mary Had a Little Glam is a wonderful story for young readers that promotes positivity, confidence, and the beauty of uplifting others.

[Stefanie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming story that is a spinoff on Mary Had a Little Lamb. This Mary is starting Mother Goose Elementary School and makes sure she is dressed to impress. Once she arrives, she sees that her classmates are in plain clothes. She helps them, and the school staff, to add a little glam to their outfits. Everyone is happy, until recess time. How are they going to play? Mary learns there's a time to be glam and a time for less, but during all times, you can still look cute. Recommend to fans of Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious. The illustrations are really fun to pour over with all the little details.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations totally won me over. This is a cute story and parody of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Mary loves to dress up. I admit, I am a boring dresser and could use a bit of her glam. But what I loved was how the illustrations added so much more to this simple, fun, story. There are nods to Mary had a Little lamb throughout the book, from Mother Goose Elementary to the lamb purse and the way everyone at school is dressed.

I also like that while it seems like a story about wanting to fit in and look just right, Mary is filled with confidence and she brings confidence and joy out in everyone she meets.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mary and how utterly glamorous she is!! This book was aboslutely amazing and it was a joy to read. It was perfect how the author added so much to the story before the small conflict occurred. It really made for a well-rounded story, which I greatly appreciated. Additionally, every plot point in the book was highly cohesive to the story as a whole, and everything that the author included fit. Yet another great thing about this book was the way the illustrator demonstrated Mary's glam in a way that I think younger readers can relate to. Lastly, I wasn't expecting numerous nursery rhyme characters to be depicted in this book, but they were, and it was a very happy surprise! Bravo, 100%!

[Bethany M. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is there right in the title; this twist on the classic Mother Goose Rhyme has STYLE! A new and improved fashion-forward Mary helps some of children’s most beloved characters go glam.

Once more, a book that is breaking the stereotypes that fierce and clever girls can be stylish too. Mary’s school friends (other classic Mother Goose characters) look fantastic in their finery thanks to one of our all-time favorite illustrators Vanessa Brantley-Newton.

This book will add a delightful flair to your home or classroom library.