Along Came Coco: A Story about Coco Chanel

K-Gr 2-"Has there ever been a little French girl with such a big imagination who has made breaking the rules look so good?" This simple picture book begins with Coco Chanel's childhood in a strict French orphanage, tracing the fashion icon's knack for spotting inspiration and innovation in unlikely places throughout the story. Coco's dreams of doing things differently came true in many ways: by sewing dolls for her friends in the convent, creating practical hats and swimsuits, using sailors' jerseys as fashion inspiration, and eventually cutting her hair short after a gas lamp exploded in her dressing room. Byrne succinctly describes Coco's revolution of women's clothing, freeing women from the binding of corsets, smelling salts, and fainting couches of the time period. The black-and-white contrast in many of the illustrations captures Chanel's sophisticated styles and simple elegance, with the characters' expressions both playful and elusive. Byrne successfully portrays Coco Chanel's creativity, though the narrative is a bit simplistic in nature. VERDICT Overall, this biography is a celebration of one little girl's big dreams and the successful woman she became; a nice addition that honors female innovators.--Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX