Dawn's Portrait

[aln1982]

^ Now I'll definitely have to make sure I look at it when I reread this one. ;D I don't think this was my favorite portrait book but I did like it okay.

[Karen Brewer]

aln1982 said:

^ ;D That's a common feeling, too, I think.

Yes. Being the oldest in my family, I probably felt that way when my sister Lauren was born. I was only 2 1/2 then. ;D

[aln1982]

^ ;D Thankfully, I'm an only child because I probably would have attacked a new sibling or something. ;D

[Rie]

sarish said:

I just think Dawn looks utterly adorable in that picture. I would say it is the most adorable picture of any picture in any of the books, actually.

I agree.

I liked Dawn's pic on the newspaper too. ;D

aln1982 said:

^ Now I'll definitely have to make sure I look at it when I reread this one. ;D I don't think this was my favorite portrait book but I did like it okay.

This portrait collection is one of my favorites. ;D

I loved the chapters,'The Golden Anniversary' and 'The New Girl on the Block'(I really liked Sunny there .

[booboobrewer]

Yeah, I agree that Dawn is really cute in the picture

[Crystal Clair]

This book bugged me. It was the first portrait book I had bought and I was still recovering a bit from Dawn being gone from the club.

1. Technically since Dawn was 12 in 1987, when the fire fear began, it would've been the early 80s. During that chapter Jeff is seen with his Nintendo Gameboy. The Gameboy handheld didn't come out until 1987.
2. Sharon's parents were a lot older in this one than in #9. I guess another inconsistancy
I could also point out that they were in San Francisco during like mid winter and even there, it's not exactly warm during the winter (45-55 degrees F). I found Dawn's outfit in the illustration innapropriate for the weather. But then again, in BSC California, it's 80 degrees everywhere at everytime, right? -_-

[aln1982]

^ I noticed the thing about Sharon's parents too.

[aln1982]

Just reread and I think this is my least favorite portrait. Dawn kind of bugs me in the fire chapter, she makes me mad in the last one, and I don't care for the Winslows at all in this book (I don't get into the "hippy" stuff at all and they seem very extreme in this one) The one chapter I do think is funny is the part about gluing the tower together. ;D I always get that confused with Stacey and Laine, though, and think they're the ones who did it.

[booboobrewer]

I love Dawn's portrait. I like the Winslows a lot...thought it was a little rude of the movers to laugh at them when they were just dancing on their lawn and hugging one another

[Penny Lane]

I like Dawn's portrait too. Sunny seems like a really interesting little kid -- teaching Dawn morse code? Awesome. Being calm during a department store blackout? Smart. It was a little stereotypical that they had had the VW Bug with flowers painted on it, but hey, whatever. I've seen those in michigan, and I'm all about a little peace and love. It's their car, and they can do what they want with it. They can also dance around in their front yard, and people shouldn't laugh at them for enjoying life.

I feel kind of bad for Sharon -- it seemed like she was close with Sunny's mom. She had to hear about Mrs Winslow's cancer through Dawn, and (no offense), but 13 year olds aren't exactly known for their tact in delivering bad news.

[aln1982]

^ I felt the same way about Sharon. I always wondered why she never went back to CA to see Mrs. Winslow (or did she?)
Agree about Sunny being good in the blackout and the morse code being cool. ;D

[Sweet City Girl]

Next to Abby’s Book, this is my favorite Portrait book. I’m not sure why, but it held my interest more than Stacey’s, especially the second time around. Maybe I could relate to this one more. It’s pretty well written, and every chapter has a special highlight- everything from Dawn’s beach love from birth to her fire safety worries. As always, I liked reading about California and her friends there, and I especially liked her first meeting with Sunny at age seven. It’s interesting reading about Sunny’s parents being hippies. Was there really much chance that hippies would be moving next door in 1981 (which was the year it really would have been when Dawn was that age ;D)? Overall, this was a really good book, in my opinion, and very interesting. The only chapter that was slightly less interesting was the one about her thirteenth year, probably because of the baby-sitting theme and the usual BSC gathering. I also remember thinking, when I first read this, that Dawn should have ended her autobiography a little differently. Her last chapter seemed to end abruptly with no real analysis of her total life experiences. Maybe that’s why her teacher only gave her a B for presentation. ;D

I love the cover of this book, also. It’s my favorite of the Portrait series. Dawn looks cute, and actually like I would imagine her, and I like the colors and the objects she used to surround her picture (especially the sea shells and starfish). I think I like this cover so much because it captures some my own love for the sea. Too bad I don’t live near a great beach like Dawn.

The inside illustrations are also good, with the exception of the last one. Here are my thoughts on each of them in order:

1. Dawn’s dad sure is handsome looking.

2. Dawn looks so adorable! She definitely does not look happy about becoming a big sister.

3. Love Sunny’s “peace” sign and that car in the background, with Dawn looking slightly unsure (well, she's smiling, but it looks like an unsure smile to me ;D).

4. The outfit Dawn’s wearing at Fisherman’s Wharf looks similar to something I wore at that age.

5. This is my favorite illustration. It’s such a nice family photo, and Dawn looks so pretty. I love the San Francisco skyscrapers in the background.

6. Dawn still looks like how I would imagine her. So far so good.

7. Dawn’s hair is nowhere near as long as it should be. It’s just a little past her shoulders! Her hair looked longer in the other pictures; what was with this one? Kristy looks as Asian as Claudia. Mary Anne looks gorgeous and sophisticated. Shame on the rest of the BSC for saying she dressed like an infant. She looks more mature than any of them. Where’s Stacey? Taking the picture? Maybe she went back to New York already by that time.

[booboobrewer]

The only chapter that was slightly less interesting was the one about her thirteenth year, probably because of the baby-sitting theme and the usual BSC gathering. I also remember thinking, when I first read this, that Dawn should have ended her autobiography a little differently. Her last chapter seemed to end abruptly with no real analysis of her total life experiences. Maybe that’s why her teacher only gave her a B for presentation.

I thought her last chapter was a bit of a downer. I usually just sort of skim it when I reread her portrait.

I love the cover too, it's a good picture of Dawn. Agree that she is cute in that picture with baby Jeff. This is one of my favorite portraits.

[Rie]

^I definitely agree about the cover. And the pic.

[supprazz]

the part about the blocks being glued together was hilarious

I liked the stories about meeting Sunny and babysitting for Sandra. I wanted to try tie dyeing and wanted to learn Morse Code.