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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Dollhouse no place for Annabelle
By JoAn Martin
Baytown Sun Published June 27, 2004 Martin, Ann & Laura Godwin. “The Meanest Doll in the World.” Illustrated by Brian Selznick. New York. Hyperion Books for Children. 2003. Hardback. 260 pages. $15.99. ISBN 078680878-0. Ages 8-12. Available at Sterling Municipal Library.
Annabelle Doll loves adventures. Being stuck in Kate’s dollhouse that has been shipped across the ocean from England to America is so boring. Since 1898, she has longed to escape the Dolls’ home and investigate the humans’ world. She wonders if there are other dolls besides her family who can talk and walk.
When the Palmer family is asleep, she and her best friend, Tiffany Funcraft, are invited by Auntie Sarah to go on explorations in the attic. Auntie Sarah is the bravest of the Doll family. Her idea is to start a spider farm. Then she can collect the spider webs to use as ropes to make various places in the house more accessible.
On one of their explorations, to avoid being seen, Tiffany and Annabelle dive head-first into Kate’s backpack and are whisked off to school. The two girl dolls cannot resist checking out Kate’s classroom and other school places they have heard Kate tell about.
When the day is over, they hurriedly jump back into the backpack to go home, but they arrive at BJ’s house instead and realize they have gotten into the wrong backpack.
The living dolls in Carroll’s room run to BJ’s room to escape the terrors of Princess Mimi, aka Mean Mimi. She tells the toys she has recruited to her side to terrorize the dolls. After battles and chaos, Annabelle and Tiffany travel via BJ’s backpack to the school and finally get home to their family in the Palmer house.
No sooner have they been greeted warmly and had the chance to tell the story of their adventures than Mean Mimi turns up. As Mean Mimi pretends to be small and meek, the Doll family realized Mimi will be a menace to all dollkind. How can they keep Kate’s family from learning their secret?
The authors have continued the adventures of Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft in this sequel to “The Doll People.” This is an excellent series for young readers who are fascinated with dollhouses and miniature toys.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.
Baytown Sun Published June 27, 2004 Martin, Ann & Laura Godwin. “The Meanest Doll in the World.” Illustrated by Brian Selznick. New York. Hyperion Books for Children. 2003. Hardback. 260 pages. $15.99. ISBN 078680878-0. Ages 8-12. Available at Sterling Municipal Library.
Annabelle Doll loves adventures. Being stuck in Kate’s dollhouse that has been shipped across the ocean from England to America is so boring. Since 1898, she has longed to escape the Dolls’ home and investigate the humans’ world. She wonders if there are other dolls besides her family who can talk and walk.
When the Palmer family is asleep, she and her best friend, Tiffany Funcraft, are invited by Auntie Sarah to go on explorations in the attic. Auntie Sarah is the bravest of the Doll family. Her idea is to start a spider farm. Then she can collect the spider webs to use as ropes to make various places in the house more accessible.
On one of their explorations, to avoid being seen, Tiffany and Annabelle dive head-first into Kate’s backpack and are whisked off to school. The two girl dolls cannot resist checking out Kate’s classroom and other school places they have heard Kate tell about.
When the day is over, they hurriedly jump back into the backpack to go home, but they arrive at BJ’s house instead and realize they have gotten into the wrong backpack.
The living dolls in Carroll’s room run to BJ’s room to escape the terrors of Princess Mimi, aka Mean Mimi. She tells the toys she has recruited to her side to terrorize the dolls. After battles and chaos, Annabelle and Tiffany travel via BJ’s backpack to the school and finally get home to their family in the Palmer house.
No sooner have they been greeted warmly and had the chance to tell the story of their adventures than Mean Mimi turns up. As Mean Mimi pretends to be small and meek, the Doll family realized Mimi will be a menace to all dollkind. How can they keep Kate’s family from learning their secret?
The authors have continued the adventures of Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft in this sequel to “The Doll People.” This is an excellent series for young readers who are fascinated with dollhouses and miniature toys.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.