Today I'm delighted to welcome author Sasha Olsen to my blog. She is a 10-year-old environmental activist, ballroom dancer, bookworm, and pianist, and she enjoys anything artistic. According to her author bio, she always finds new hobbies and things to do, which usually ends up in her trying to juggle everything. She lives with her family in Bal Harbour, Florida, where she also spearheads the conservation movement “I Want My Ocean Back.” Legends From Mom’s Closet is her first book, and I'm pleased to feature it today. And she's written a cool guest post about using our imaginations, instead of staring at our screens... which is kind of what you're doing as you read this.
Use Your Imagination
Instead of Your Screen
By Sasha Olsen
My name is Sasha Olsen. I’ve lived on the beach in South
Florida since I was a baby. I have many hobbies; some are ballroom dancing and
playing piano! This past summer, I also started working on my first book Legends
from Mom’s Closet. Back then, I was spending a lot of time inside because
of the stormy weather. Most of us have also been stuck indoors recently because
of the quarantine situation. A lot of kids my age started distance learning in
March, so I think it’s a really great time to share my story with everyone!
Instead of getting onto the computer or using phones, I
think we should use our creativity to start new projects with what surrounds us.
I realize more and more every day that there is just so much we can do at home.
When I read about some amazing women legends last summer, I wanted to feel a
bit more of what it would have been like to live a day in their shoes. So, I
did exactly that! I started dressing up as them by getting creative and putting
outfits together that showed off their signature styles. Most importantly, I
was able to do this by rummaging in my mom’s closet and asking my grandma for
help.
By reading my book, I think kids all around the world could
get inspired to use their imagination to try something new. Last summer I also
started my movement to help save the oceans, Iwantmyoceanback. So, I’m also
always thinking of ways we can help the environment and reusing clothes is
definitely one of them! Fast fashion is one of the biggest problems our planet
deals with. That’s why it’s even more awesome to use what we already have for
new projects, especially ones that help us learn something too.
When I started Legends from Mom’s Closet, I realized
that I would never end this project. Recreating looks from iconic legends and
historic paintings is something I love to do. It helps me learn even more about
that person or time period, and I see it as something everyone can do. Not just
kids!
I actually started planning some new recreations with my
little sister, so that we can read and learn more together. The whole family
can even do it! It’s really fun and helps us think outside the box.
Nowadays when I’m not doing schoolwork, I look for new
people to learn about and dress up as since we have more time on our hands. You
can check out the legends I learn about and dress up as on my Instagram, legendsfrommomscloset.
Maybe you’ll see someone you recognize or maybe you’ll meet someone new. Dress
up as your role model or favorite legend and send it to us! I would love to see
what you guys come up with and share it.
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One rainy summer, after reading a stack of books about women like Frida Kahlo, Audrey Hepburn and Billie Holiday, Sasha’s imagination ran wild and she ended up in her mom's closet picking through her clothes and her grandmother’s vintage pieces to dress up like all the female legends she had been reading about. The resulting book is complete with photos of the looks she created and tips for other young girls on how they, too, can emulate these iconic women. Legends from Mom’s Closet will inspire readers to delve into the lives of truly remarkable women from the past to learn a thing or two about what it means to be legendary in today’s world.
You can find Sasha at
And here's my review:
Legends from my Mom’s Closet by Sasha Olsen
Ten-year-old Sasha Olsen has met a lot of interesting people
I books, and brought their worlds to life in clothes... and written about it all
in Legends from my Mom’s Closet. As she quotes in the introductory pages, there
is truly no reason ever to be bored, at least not if a child is willing to
escape the screen and use their imagination.
The book, Legends from my Mom’s Closet, is written in diary
form, with a smooth natural voice and a fun point of view. It's brightly illustrated with
vivid photographs too, of Sasha dressing to match the people she reads about--and for someone who doesn't want to read, she certainly ends up enjoying it.
Soon she’s sharing all the things she’s learned, as well as sharing pictures, and readers can meet artist, Frida Kahlo, singer Billie Holiday, the famous
Cleopatra and more.
Each tale/chapter ends with questions or suggestions for the
reader. Consider those major issues of fame and power. Would you ever get tired of being
yourself? Could you, like Twiggy, create a whole new look? Do you dare to be
different like Marlene Dietrich? From Jackie Kennedy to Yayoi Kusama, from jazz
to rock ’n roll… Legends from my Mom’s Closet is an enjoyable easy read, an
impressively attractive book, and a book that introduces an author with great voice,
great attitude, and great imagination. Enjoy.
Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I freely offer my honest review.
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