This was a favourite picture book of mine back in my childhood. I remember walking to the library frequently after school and never failing to pull this one off the shelf for yet another re-read. The story is so funny and entertaining that I never got tired of it, and I was absolutely entranced by the wonderfully detailed artwork that helped to illustrate the absurdity of the tale. ( )

Madame Pompenstance decides to decorate her hair with seashells in a desperate attempt to win the prize for the Best Headdress at the Fancy Dress Ball, but she doesn't notice the ship that sails onto her head when she bends down to gather shells at the beach . “Lattimore has crafted exquisite, historically accurate illustrations that will provide as much mirth as her tongue-in-cheek tale.

Madame Pompenstance never wins Best Headdress at the Fancy Dress Ball no matter what she does! This year will be much different, even though she does not know it. After thinking and thinking about her idea for the ball, Madame Pompenstance decides that the best thing she can do is to take a walk to the beach. While she is there, she adds a few seashells to her hair. While not realizing, she also takes a small ship with her on her head. Throughout the day, she does not know this is atop her head. She goes through the day and the festivities of the day thinking that she only has small seashells in her hair. That night at the ball she enters thinking that she has officially lost the competition because she only went with a few seashells. Little does she know that she still has the ship on her head! After winning the contest and not really knowing she won, she runs away back to the beach. When she arrives back at the beach, she loses both the ship and the seashells that were in her hair. Madame Pompenstance never even saw the ship that had mad an appearance! This was quite a cute little book. I thought it was funny, cute, and simple. I really enjoyed the illustration! I think that if the illustration had not been what it was, then I would not have enjoyed the book as much. The pictures made the book! ( )

Madame Pompenstance never wins the annual Best Headdress Award Medal of Honor at the Fancy Dress Ball, but this time she is in for a surprise. Upon pondering what type of headpiece to wear to win the Best Headdress award, Madame Pompenstance takes a stroll on the beach. While bending down to pick up some seashells to put in her hair, unbeknownst to Madame Pomperstance, a small triple-masted ship sailed into her hair. Throughout the day while playing a game of balls and hoops, playing cards and drinking tea with the other Madame's, Madame Pomperstance has yet to notice that there is a ship with small sailors on her head. Finally it comes time for the Fancy Dress Ball, Madame Pomperstance has a terrible headache from all the tiny sailors running around on the ship. Although the other women have interesting headdresses themseleves, nothing is close to Madame Pomperstance's magnificent ship and she wins. But, because of Madame Pomperstance's raging headache, she leaves the party and takes another stroll on the beach. She bends down again and the ship simply sails off.
The illustrations in this book are elaborate and seem like a page out of a real 18th century French book. Each page has borders that are intricate and colorful. I love the humor in this book, it is very silly and a book that I know all kids would giggle about. It would also be great to use this book in a history lesson about French royalty. ( )

When Madame Pompenstance takes a stroll on the beach one morning, distracted by thoughts of that night's Fancy Dress Ball, and her (slim) chances of winning the Medal of Honor for Best Headdress, a miniature ship sails right off the sea and onto her head! So begins a hilarious day, as Madame's unusual head-gear brings her unexpected good luck at Ball and Hoops, the Countess of Eclair's afternoon card game, and (of course!) the Ball...

It's a shame I never encountered The Lady With the Ship on Her Head as a young girl, because I think I would have loved the combination of absurd humor - Madame never realizes she has a ship on her head, believing instead that her discomfort springs from a terrible headache - and fanciful illustrations. I've read and enjoyed many other picture-books by Deborah Nourse Lattimore, so it comes as no surprise that this Reading Rainbow selection should prove so engaging. But although I did enjoy it, I felt as if I were missing something: I liked it, but didn't love it as much as my friends. Perhaps I simply missed the boat on this one? ( )