The Girl Who Wore Too Much: A Folktale from Thailand

by Margaret Read MacDonald, Supaporn Vathanaprida (Translator), Yvonne Lebrun Davis (Illustrator)

Like most young girls, Aree likes fine clothing and jewelry. But she is just a wee bit spoiled and has more dresses and accessories than she needs. So when word comes of a dance to be held in the next village, Aree can't make up her Now I can show off my fine clothes! But which color shall I wear? The pink, the fuchsia, the scarlet? The sky blue or aquamarine? Maybe violet? Deep purple? Magenta? Maybe chartreuse? Or emerald green?

Genres: Picture Books, Asia, Folk Tales, Childrens, Cultural, Folklore, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 1998

About the author

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Biography
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald travels the world telling stories....always on the lookout for more great folktales to share. She shapes these found stories into tellable tales which anyone can share with ease. Filling her folktale collections with these delightful tales, she creates perfect read alouds for you and your family. MRM wants everyone to experience the joy of a beautifully told tale. She hopes you will read them a few times...then put down the book...put down the electronic device...and just TELL the story to your children!

Some of her favorite folktales she expands into picture books...hopefully with delightfully readable language while will roll right out of your mouth. Share them with your children and then....act the tales out! Revisit the tales by TELLING them! At bedtime. While on the road. Fill your pockets with great stories to share wherever you go.

Joining her Folklore Ph.D. with her 30 plus years as a children's librarian, Margaret brings folktales to life in playful, lilting language which should delight both reader and listener.

See her performance schedule at: www.margaretreadmaconald.com

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming adaptation, with a very good author's note. The Thai text is small, and is in its original script (not transcribed into Roman phonetics), but is pretty to look at. The illustrations are exuberant and expressive. I *love* the birds in the endpapers - nothing to do with the story, but they do establish context and are gorgeous. I really like how the adults, introduced right away on the copyright and title page, understand their role in encouraging the girl's vanity.

I will look for more by MacDonald; whether I find original stories or adaptations I'm sure I'd enjoy them. And I will definitely look for more art by Davis; maybe she sells prints of birds or something.

[Eileen Goedert · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I think of a successful traditional folktale, I think of how the students will relate to the characters and conflict. For example, in Abiyoyo the main characters are 'ostracized' by the townspeople, but the family of two has redeeming qualities that are illuminated by the presence of the scary giant. The father and son protect the community with the very talents that irritated the townspeople. Maybe Abiyoyo was Americanized in such a way to be pleasant to my American sensibilities. The Girl Who Wore Too Much story line is not as relatable to me. I love the idea of clothing playing a big part in a folktale, like shoes in The Elves and The Shoemaker. There is something so tactile and relatable for young students who might be just beginning to pick out their own clothes. But I am not sure my students living in poverty will connect with the girl who learns she does not need to wear every dress and bangle. It is not that they cannot relate to making a misguided choice, but the story comes off a bit cartoon-like. The author has a great suggestion in her afterward to read the story and put on the clothes and jewelry to make the story come alive. Although I love that idea, perhaps the words should stand on their own to delight the child reader. I do like the Thai writing and and Thai design that frames the pictures. I might use the book to begin a discussion on a comparison of traditional folktales, but I do not think that this book would be one students would ask me to read over and over. Since we only have so many books to read during the course of a year and only so many opportunities to assist in representing other cultures, I might pick a different Thai story.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aree, a girl from Thailand, is given every beautiful thing encountered by her family and friends. Soon she has so many things she doesn't know what to do. When she is invited to a party, she can't decided what to wear, so she wears every single dress she owns plus all the jewelry she has. Walking to the party with her friends, Aree can't keep up because she is weighed down by her clothes and jewelry. Eventually she has to just stop. She calls for help and when her parents show up, her father tells her that they wrongly taught her to value things and she now needs to learn to live with less. Aree immediately adopts this way of thinking and begins giving away her things to those people around her.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a folktale from Thailand. This story tells about a young girl who has been spoiled by her parents. They have given her the best of everything. When the young girls of the village are invited to a party Aree can’t decide which of her finest dresses, or beautiful jewelry to wear. She puts one dress on over another. The she puts all of her jewelry on. She thinks she will be the most beautiful girl there. She meets her friends outside. The hold their laughter in. As they walk along Aree can’t keep up and is left behind. Her friends come back for her twice. Both times when they try to help her she stops them because she doesn’t want her dresses messed up. She never makes it to the dance. The next morning her friends find her where she had sat down. She has no strength to move. They get her parents who realize and help her realize how wrong they were for giving her everything.

[Teresa Selders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for K- third grade. It is worth sharing because it teaches the children not to want everything and that sometimes less is better. This book is written in English and Thai. If there are other nationalities in the classroom they would enjoy it also. This story has a great message.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greed and vanity will always come back to haunt you in the end. It is a lesson learned in this wonderfully illustrated folktale from Thailand.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this retelling of the this Thai folktale. The illustrations were bright and brought the story to life.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fable from Thailand that taught parents not to spoil their children and children to not be greedy and vain.

[Aryehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This folktale focuses it’s teaching on greed. The main character, for the sake of vanity, wears far more jewelry and clothing than she needs, explaining the concept of greed in a way that is easily understood by young children. Our main character decides to be less vain and greedy for intrinsic reasons rather than because of the criticism or needs of others. Usually, a story concerting greed will have the main character experience change based on pity for other characters. I think it is better that this character finds the motivation to change from within rather than from external motivators. While the characters are limited in the way they express their feelings about Aree (main character), children may consider Aree’s behavior from the perspectives of the other characters such as her parents or her friends who were hindered by Aree’s choices by taking longer to get to the party. The illustrations are clear and attractive.

[Marigold Bookhound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Aree’s parents have doted on her all her life. Now she has so many fine silk clothes and precious jewelry she can’t decide what to wear to the dance! So she puts on at least a dozen dresses, one on top of the other, and weighs down her neck and arms with too many bracelets, ring, and necklaces. After struggling for hours to even walk up the hill to the dance, Aree and her parents realize how her true beauty isn’t visible when she is spoiled with too many material things. I like that this story is simple, but the exaggerated quality makes this important lesson feel better than exciting to listen to and learn, rather than too didactic. The illustrations are gorgeous and fun.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aree wears all her beautiful jewels and dresses, expensive as they are. She seems to be spoiled, and materialistic, until she realizes that all those clothes and jewels will never get her anywhere- to the dance, or in life. There is a lesson learned in the end, and the story could be a fun read to any elementary class. It portrays the lesson that one should be happy with what one has, instead of wanting more expensive and valuable things in life.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

This folktale from Thailand has bright bold illustrations and a great message about greed and pride and vanity. Another cool aspect of this book is that it is bilingual. The story is told in English but along the bottom of the pages is the story in its original language, Thai.

This book would be a great interactive opportunity for a storytime, possibly picking one child and weighing them down with layer after layer of clothing.

[Ally Lybbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to have a multicultural library. I love that this book teaches not only the folktale but also about the Thai culture. The moral of the story is about humility. This would be great in my classroom

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiled and vain, Aree cannot decide which of her many silken dresses and lavish jewels to wear to the dance, so she wears them all.

Folklore -- Thailand

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story that could be used to help a child learn the difference between need and want, as well as the idea of vanity. It's a Thai story so it makes a nice little geography stepping stone.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4 yo daughter loves this book as the girl wore all of her clothes, and jewelry and was not able to goto the dance, but still felt she was the most beautiful girl.

[Thomas Andrikus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Thai folktale teaches us that greed (and ultimately, today's consumerism) could only does not necessarily beget admiration or happiness.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moira loved this, but I'm not sure she really understood the moral of the story because she really wants to try this sometime.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this folktale from Thailand that teaches us to be grateful. The illustrations are vivid and beautiful. A wonderful piece of traditional literature!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fits my two year old daughter to a T. She'll wear two or three play princess dresses at a time, so this book is one she connects to rather easily. Fun read with a great lesson on vanity.

[Sharon Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story with moral.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull.

[Renee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice for storytelling -- Thailand.

["aww look at the wittle puppie! She's SOOO CUTE!!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was very unique

[Renae Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Thai folktale warns against the temptation of vanity. A girl has been spoiled with many beautiful things, and cannot decide what to wear to a dance one night. Instead of choosing one dress, she chooses them all. She ends up not making it to the dance at all because she has put on too much and cannot walk up the hill. In the end she has learned her lesson about vanity and only wears one simple outfit to the dance after that.

6+1 Traits:
Idea
Organization

Lexile: AD170L
Guided Reading: L