Daddy Dressed Me

Michael Gardner is the creator of Daddy Dressed Me, a fashion content blog featuring designs by the thirty-seven-year-old father and modeled by his ten-year-old daughter, Ava. Gardner started creating designs for Ava when she was just three years old, refashioning thrifted women’s clothing. He was looking for a new way to strengthen his relationship with his daughter and, after seeing his sister sew, decided to pick up the hobby. They live in Philadelphia.Ava Giselle Gardner is an ambitious, confident, and thoughtful young lady. She enjoys learning, dancing, coloring, and spending quality time with family. The epitome of a princess, she loves pink, getting manicures and pedicures, wearing colorful accessories, and modeling her dad’s unique creations. Based in Washington, DC, Nadia Fisher is a self-taught artist and illustrator striving to normalize inclusion in children’s books and the illustration world. She wants children from all backgrounds to be able to see themselves in the books they read, and she works to instill a sense of confidence and joy in them as well. When she is not drawing or painting, you can either find Nadia spending time with her husband and daughter (probably biking or roller skating) or binge-watching shows, documentaries, and movies on Netflix. She also loves to get away from the busyness of the city by visiting nearby state parks with her family.

The simply written story rings true emotionally, and the attractive digital illustrations feature the warm relationship between a Black daughter and her father. A satisfying picture book.