THE PERFECT STYLE
Genre: Children’s Book (Idea)
Illustrated (Idea)
Copyright © 2009 Bonnie Watson
Inspiration
I had a dream that gave way to this children's book idea. While reading, just imagine what it would be like illustrated (with a cutesy little girl theme).
Story Summary
Cora is looking for a new style. When she accidently stumbles across a land where nothing but styles exist, she's sure to find the perfect one! - STORY STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
Characters
Cora, Mince, Harlem, & Master Styles
Cora loved her new school. She made friends easy and loved her new outfits. But she did not like her hair. All the other children had the most unique styles. Cora just couldn’t get her hair to stay up.
Everyone tried to help. The teacher even made it a class project. Nothing seemed to work. They pulled and tugged and tied and sprayed. It just would not style. So Cora decided she needed to find the perfect style.
While walking home one day, she came across a curious sight. A mouse, with its tiny fuzz on the tip of its head tied up in a tufted ponytail.
“Mice don’t wear ponytails!” Cora said.
To her surprise, the mouse replied, “Where I come from, everyone and everything has a style.”
“Can you take me there?” Cora asked. “I’m looking for the perfect style.”
“Gladly! Can call me Mince. You may come as my guest.”
“I’m Cora. Pleased to meet you, Mince.” And together, they opened a secret doorway and crawled through.
Cora had never seen anything so beautiful. The tree trunks looked like twisted curls of braided hair with bob cut flowers in bloom. (Describe different styles in the landscape and buildings).
Cora carried Mince on her shoulder as a tour guide.
“I really like this style!” she admired the (name style).
“Try it on!”
And so she did. There were so many to pick. Finally, she saw one more hidden under a statue.
“No, wait! Not that one!” Mince cried.
But it was too late. Cora had already put it on. And it looked perfect!
Suddenly, the statues began to crack and bend until all the rock had crumbled away.
“We are the Guardians of Style!” They said in unison, stepping from the leftover dust. “This particular style is off limits to outsiders.”
“But why?” Cora asked. “I’ll do anything to have it!”
“It is different from other styles because it was the last creation from Master Styles himself before all the styles went wrong.”
They pointed at Cora, and she looked down to see what they were looking at. To her shock, her lower half had turned into a miniature horse. Now she looked like the guardians.
“What’s happening to me?” Cora asked.
“The magic must be wrong,” Mince said. “Where is Master Styles?”
“Can this person help me?” Cora pleaded. “I really like this style. And being part horse isn’t too bad, if that’s what it takes.”
“Master Styles is responsible for creating the many styles around the land,” the Guardians explained. “But one style went terribly wrong! Now he is missing.”
They took Cora to a hill overlooking the valley. One side was bright and cheery with different styles. The other side was dark frizz and wild tangles.
“If we don’t find him soon, everything will start to look that way,” the Guardians said. “Nor will you be able to change back.”
“So what happened to the bad style?” Cora asked. “Can we fix it?”
“Here, take this.” A Guardian gives Cora a beautiful jeweled comb. “This will help you.”
Cora thanked the Guardians and started heading for the tangled forest of frizz. Mince was frightened and hid in her pocket, but Cora was determined to keep her style. She used the comb to untangle the foliage so it was easier to walk through. When she was confronted by strange frizzy creatures that rolled and tumbled and bumped into things, she used the comb to straighten their fur so they could see where to go.
At last, she reached the home of Master Styles. It would have made a lovely building if not for the tangles of frizz everywhere. The frizzy vines drew straight up to the highest tower, the place where Master Styles was last seen. So Cora climbed the vines all the way up and peered through the window. There, she see a hideous beast trying to conjure up new styles. The styles were always wrong, so the beast kept tossing them out the window.
“That’s why the land is a wreck,” Cora whispered. “All the bad styles are being released in land.”
The creature suddenly turned. Its sharp ears had heard Cora’s whisper. It went to the window and picked Cora from the vines and set her down where it could properly study her.
“That style!” it screeched. “I want!” The creature tried to pluck the curls away, but Cora held up the comb.
“I’ll make you a style!” she exclaimed.
When the creature saw the comb, he sat down with a thumb and started to dry.
“My hair is no good, and I can’t fix it!” it wailed. “I try and try, but can’t. It’s all Master Styles fault!”
“Not all styles come out perfect,” Cora said. “Just look at mine.” She removed the curly wig and let her hair down. “I’ll give you my style if you stop ruining the land with your bad ones.”
“I promise.”
So Cora took the style and placed it on the creature’s head. As soon as it touched it started growing down the neck, turning all the old hair to golden curls, even its tail. The skin color bleached to a pure white, and suddenly Cora realized she was staring at a unicorn!
“I love it!” the unicorn exclaimed. “Thank you!”
“And thank you!” Mince jumped from Cora’s pocket and shifted into the missing Master Styles. “I was too frightened to undo the mess myself, but now that you’ve returned my comb I can help with that style you like so much.”
Cora squatted on the floor, for her horse like body was too wide to fit in a chair, and waited patiently while Master Styles recreated her favorite style. When it was completed, she looked down to find that she no longer looked like a Guardian. Master Styles handed her a mirror.
“It’s the perfect style!” Cora said. “Thank you!”
The unicorn offered to take Cora back to the secret doorway. She waved goodbye to all her friends.
Everyone loved her new style!
