Dan's Pants: The Adventures of Dan, the Fabric Man

Children's Literature

Dan is a fabric salesman. When a dog rips his pants, his wife Fran uses some of the colorful fabric he sells to make him a new pair of pants. These wild and crazy pants get a lot of attention. She makes him over ninety pair. As he travels around selling fabric, he makes a lot of friends who love his crazy pants. Dan is a real person, and this story was written by a couple who knew him when he sold them fabric for their store in Pennsylvania. At the end of the book are eight photographs of fabric swatches¾samples of some of the fabrics Dan's wife used to make his pants. These colorful patterns include a floral, a kitten print, butterflies and a log cabin quilt pattern. 2000, Good Books, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Kristin Harris

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Dan and his wife Fran travel from store to store selling bolts of fabric. When a dog nips the seat out of Dan's pants, Fran makes him a new pair out of some wild-looking cloth. Through the years, she sews more than 90 pairs of these attention-grabbing trousers, which are much admired by customers, passersby, and even animals. Based on a real-life couple, the rhyming story is set in rural areas where country stores might be found. While some of the rhymes sound forced, the text moves along nicely. End matter includes photographs of eight fabrics with notes as to why Dan likes these particular patterns. Benner's bright watercolor illustrations are cheerful and pay special attention to the details in the different materials. This cozy look at small business just might inspire some young entrepreneurs.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

From The Critics

In Dan's Pants: The Adventures Of Dan, "The Fabric Man", Merle Good effectively collaborated with Dan and Fran bolts, and illustrator Cheryl Benner, to provide young readers with a charming, entertaining, picturebook story of a man who has more than 30 pairs of funny looking pants in his closet. Very day is a "dress-up day" for Dan. When he goes out, bees follow him, dogs go wild, traffic backs up, and his customers want to feel the fabric. Every week Dan sells bolts of fabric to fabric stores, dragging suitcases filled with samples from one buyer to the next. And ever season Dan's wife Fran makes him a pair of pants from his favorite of the new bright, bold fabric he sells. This bright, engaging, totally fun story is inspired by actual experiences and will prove a welcome addition to school and community library collections.