Sally Huss

Plain Jane Celebrates Sally Huss

Self-confidence is lacking in a plain little girl when she arrives in a new town, alone. The townspeople are astonished, "My, she's plain!" But, of course they were normal. They were colored folks like you'd find anywhere. They were blue. They were green. They were orange. They were red. They were spotted and dotted on their bodies, hair, and heads. They were striped and plaid and flowered and checked. They were abstract and camouflaged and arrowed and flecked. Jane appealed to their kindness, hoping that there might be anyone who would take her in... someone who would not consider her plainness a sin. They take her in all right, but decide to change her, fix her, make her bright. There follows a debate over which one of their designs she should be. But at the big 4th of July celebration, she comes to a great revelation and decides, "That the only way I can be special, the only way I can be unique, is to be me. That's what I think... even if it's as plain as plain can be." Great fun, adorable illustrations, tongue-twisting rhymes add to the delight of this story.