The Emperor’s Second Hand Clothes is a droll application of the classic Hans Christian Andersen yarn that both kids and adults will have fun reading. Anne Millyard uses up-to-date language and amusing asides to recount how a vain emperor obsessed with haute couture is swindled by a group of tailors who sell him an “enchanted” cloth. Josée Bisaillon’s illustrations are an exciting blend of media, with bright colours and patterns redolent of the fabrics coveted by the emperor. Younger readers, especially, will delight in her slightly grotesque, prancing figures and in spotting the parade of domestic animals that strut about in the backgrounds. The story’s message endures (beware vanity!), and the delivery is fresh. (Ages 3+) mRb