| The Boy in the Dress | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | David Walliams |
| Illustrator | Quentin Blake |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's fiction (8-12) |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 01 October 2008 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 0007279035 |
| OCLC Number | 233262822 |
The Boy In The Dress is a children's book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It is the first book by Walliams, a television comedian best known for the show Little Britain. It tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy who enjoys cross-dressing, and the reactions of his family and friends.[1][2] It is aimed at readers aged eight to twelve.[3]
Contents |
The story follows a boy named Dennis and his older brother John, whose parents are divorced. The boys remain with their father, who resorts to comfort eating to cope after his wife leaves; Dennis finds comfort in his mother's left-behind clothes. Dennis buys a copy of Vogue magazine, but is caught by his horrified father; John calls him 'Denise'. At school that day Dennis is given detention, where he meets the glamorous Lisa James, who ultimately lends him a dress which he wears to school. This makes Dennis very embarrassed even though he fancies Lisa.
Reviewers and the press noted the book's resonance with Walliams's own cross-dressing.[3] Philip Ardagh in the Guardian noted the novelty of Walliams's light-hearted approach to transgender themes, compared with treatments in earlier children's books on the subject like Terence Blacker's 2004 title Boy 2 Girl[4]. Nicolette Jones in the Times praised Blake's illustrations and, though she called Walliams's writing "not the finest", noted "Everyone is on the side of freedom and tolerance by the end, for which the book must be applauded."[2]
Dennis's father tells him "No more Small England, or whatever it is". French teacher Miss Windsor cuts short a school detention, hoping to get home in time to watch Neighbours, though in America this reference has been changed to The Young and the Restless.
The book was published in hardcover by HarperCollins in October 2008, with a paperback release scheduled for May 2009[5]. Walliams and his comedy partner Matt Lucas recorded an audiobook of the story, also for HarperCollins, which was released in November 2008.[6] HarperCollins were reported to have signed Walliams for a two-book deal.[1][3]