André: André Leon Talley—A Fabulously Fashionable Fairy Tale

The creators situate this visually polished biography of “high priest of fashion” André Leon Talley (1948–2022) as a fairy tale. It begins with a Washington, D.C.–born baby wrapped not “in chiffon or cashmere, but in the coarse fabric of prejudice.” Interweaving quotes from the subject, conversational lines by Boston Weatherford and Sanders offer details of Talley’s childhood in segregated Durham, N.C., describing the church where he was surrounded by “family and love,” the bullying he endured, and “unwanted touches from grown-ups who swore him to silence.” Educational opportunities and mentoring by the legendary former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland led to further jobs at Women’s Wear Daily, Ebony, and Vogue, and a career as a renowned journalist, editor, and stylemaker. Reportorial artwork by O’Neal nods to vintage fashion illustration in its depiction of a life full of couture runways, and elegantly portrays Talley’s shift to wearing capes and kaftans following a trip to Morocco, in this book about a figure determined to radiate “the light and the beauty of my mind.” An authors’ note and further resources conclude. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)