The Lowdown on Denim by Tanya Lloyd Ky is by the same author as the 50 Questions series of comic book style nonfiction books for upper elementary students. This book covers the history of denim and the rise in popularity of blue jeans in the United States and then around the world. Ironically, I don't own a single pair of jeans!

Blue jeans were invented by Levi Strauss to give the gold miners in California something sturdy to wear. It's one of those inescapable facts when living in the Bay Area. So coming to this book as a Californian familiar with the history of denim and blue jeans, I was curious to see what was included in the book.

After the initial story of Levi Strauss and the ways in which denim styles changed in response to the needs of different industries, the book settles into a comparison of different brands. The brand centric latter half was less interesting than the early history.

On the author's blog, she has a post about the cover art being changed in the United States. Apparently the original cover showed the jeans down around the feet of a pair of hairy legs. The U.S. version, though, shows the jeans pulled up and torn and tattered as was the fashion when I was in high school. ( )

This book is also a good read for teenagers. The history of the jeans is told, beginning in 1870. From pants for workers to rebellious wear by hippies to fashion statement. Who doesn't have a pair of jeans?

http://boekenwijs.blogspot.com/2011/12/lowdown-on-denim.html ( )