In Beatrice Masini’s modern fairytale, Here Comes the Bride, Filomena is a plain seamstress who’s ever the wedding dress designer, never the bride. That is, until Rusty, the mechanic next door, works up the courage to ask for her hand in marriage, propelling Filomena into an obsessive quest to create the ultimate gown for the ceremony. Anna Laura Cantone’s collage illustrations are as carefully crafted as one of Filomena’s creations. Both florid and elegant, they’re stitched with tiny puns that await the attentive reader’s discovery. Buried beneath all the tulle is the simple message of staying true to oneself. mRb