Check out Makeovers at the Beauty Counter of Happiness by Ilene Beckerman

I could read this book one hundred times and still always smile at the witty comments, appreciate the cultural insight, get teary eyed at the touching parts, admire the illustrations, and take the advice to heart. If you have never read an Ilene Beckerman book, you are in for a treat! Combining sparse writing and colorful illustrations, she shares her life in a way that resonates deeply with the reader.
The book opens with Ilene’s nervous anticipation of a 50-year reunion with her gifted elementary school class, many people whom she hasn’t seen since she was eleven years old. She is also concerned about Olivia, her pre-teen granddaughter. She writes Olivia letters that she never sends, offering wisdom like “I hope you don’t have to wait as long as I did to know nobody’s perfect” while commenting on Barbra Streisand’s nose.
Insecurity, self-esteem, dieting, fashion, friendships, jealousy and admiration are running themes in Ilene’s life. She also writes celebrities letters that she doesn’t send, beginning each letter with the quaint phrase “I’ve always been a fan of yours.” She asks Audrey Hepburn what it is like to be perfect, and asks Elizabeth Taylor how she shapes her eyebrows. She offers two pieces of advice to new mothers Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwenyth Paltrow, because she is a mother too. She admits that she has tried and failed to ignore the messages of Hollywood, Cosmopolitan and celebrities. She continues to offer Olivia advice about growing up, beauty, self-esteem and aging. he wishes she had been less influenced by jealousy and insecurity, and she hopes that her granddaughter may fare better in this century.
Although I am several years older than Ilene Beckerman’s granddaughter, or perhaps because I am several years past age eleven, I can appreciate her insights. We are not reminded often enough that our self-esteem and happiness should not be based on beauty counters and movie magazines. I shared this book with my own grandmother, who read it twice and then called it “important”. She told me that Ilene Beckerman was writing just what she herself felt about the world sometimes, and that she worried about me the way that Ilene worries about Olivia.
Although this book was not a sequel to Ilene Beckerman’s first book, the personal writing style, simple illustration and quirky attitudes are continued here. Love, Loss and What I Wore explores Ilene’s life from childhood through adulthood, reflecting on certain outfits, accessories and hairstyles that she remembers and the accompanying stories, intermixes with poignant reflections on the happiness and grief that life seems to contain. Another Ilene Beckerman collection, Mother of the Bride, focuses on well-selected memories from her experiences in that classic role of mother, advisor, enemy and confidant.
Reviewed by Lissa Staley