The Doll People
Annabelle Doll is eight years old-she has been for more than a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll family, day after day, year after year. . . until one day the Funcrafts move in.Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Annabelle Doll is 8 years old--and has been for over 100 years. Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle's Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt's fate. And when she discovers Auntie Sarah's old diary, she becomes positively driven. Her cautious family tries to discourage her, but Annabelle won't be stopped, even though she risks Permanent Doll State, in which she could turn into a regular, nonliving doll. And when the "Real Pink Plastic" Funcraft family moves in next door, the Doll family's world is turned upside down--in more ways than one!
Fans of The Borrowers and Stuart Little will love this exciting story of adventure and mystery. The relationship between the two doll families, one antique, one modern, is hilariously, wonderfully drawn. The Funcrafts are reckless and raucous, with fearlessness born of their unbreakable plastic parts. The Doll family is reserved and somewhat prim, even though they occasionally break into '60s tunes like "Respect" in their sing-alongs. Annabelle is a heroine with integrity and gumption. Ann Martin (The Babysitters Club series) and Laura Godwin create a witty, intriguing tale, illustrated with humor and a clever eye for detail by Brian Selznick. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
Passed down from one generation to the next, the Doll family has lived in the same dollhouse, located in the same room of the Palmer family's house, for 100 years. While the world outside has changed, their own lives have notDwith two significant exceptions. First, Auntie Sarah Doll suddenly and mysteriously disappeared 45 years ago, when the Doll family belonged to Kate Palmer's grandmother. More recently, the modern, plastic Funcraft family has moved into Kate's little sister's room. Following the time-honored traditions of such well-loved works as Rumer Godden's The Doll's House, The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh and Pam Conrad's and Richard Egielski's The Tub People, Martin and Godwin inventively spin out their own variation on the perennially popular theme of toys who secretly come to life. By focusing on Annabelle's and Tiffany Funcraft's risky mission to find Auntie Sarah, the authors provide plenty of action and suspense, yet it is their skillfully crafted details about the dolls' personalities and daily routines that prove most memorable. Selznick's pencil illustrations cleverly capture the spark of life inhabiting the dolls' seemingly inanimate bodies. The contemporary draftsmanship frees the art from nostalgia even while the layoutDwhich presents the illustrations as standalone compositions as well as imaginatively integrated borders and vignettesDreinforces the old-fashioned mood of the doll theme. Doll lovers may well approach their imaginative play with renewed enthusiasm and a sense of wonder after reading this fun-filled adventure. Ages 7-10. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-A lighthearted touch and a dash of drama make this a satisfying read. When Annabelle Doll finds her Aunt Sarah's journal, she hopes it offers a clue to the whereabouts of her aunt, who has been missing for 45 years. Annabelle is forever eight years old-the same age as Kate, the current owner of the Victorian dollhouse in which she and her family have lived for the past century. Their new neighbors, the all-plastic Funcrafts, who arrive for Kate's younger sister's birthday, are modern and brashly confident. Their pink plastic house has a barbecue, a computer, and a VCR. Tiffany, the Funcraft doll-girl, is just the right age to be a first real friend for Annabelle, and her daring spirit inspires the child's quest for her aunt. Determined and brave, she persuades her cautious parents to let her venture out of the dollhouse in search of her relative. Along with the usual perils of moving about in the real world, there is the risk of being seen by a human and succumbing to "doll state" or even worse, "permanent doll state." Selznick's illustrations are perfectly suited to the innocent charm of the dolls and do much to draw readers into their world. The delightful endpapers, which resemble pages from toy catalogs past and present, tell their own tale about the characters. A light and uncomplicated fantasy/adventure in the tradition of Rumer Godden's doll stories or even Pam Conrad's The Tub People (HarperCollins, 1989).
Kathie Meizner, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Chevy Chase, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
A delightful series, especially for a young and advanced reader
This book is thoroughly charming. What I like best about the series is that it is perfect for my first grade daughter, an advanced reader for whom it is challenging to find books that engage her without introducing topics/subject matter/behavior that is inappropriate for a seven year old. I am entranced by these books, as is she.
an amazing kids book
hey guys! this was one of the best book ever! i gave this book to my daughter for her birthday and we loved it so much! it was funny and happy and a greart kids read. from me this would definatly get a whopping 5 stars! :) i also read the other two books and they were just as good!
Great book for boys or girls--incuding the read aloud crowd!
I read to my 6 year old boy every night. We'd just finished Brian Selznick's wonderful "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," so I was looking for more work by him. We came across The Doll People, and even though he only illustrated it, we gave it a try. The end result: It is excellent!
Ms. Martin and Ms. Godwin pace the story beautifully--filling it with humor, suspense and mystery. Mr. Selznick's illustrations are rich in detail--and really capture the moments so well. Though the reading level is too advanced for my 6 year old--it makes a great read aloud book.
Also, don't make the mistake of thinking that because this is about dolls, only girls would like it. My son couldn't wait to read the next chapter every night--and I loved seeing him laugh at the humor, gasp at the suspense, and cheer during the adventures. Also, because it is a mystery, we had a lot of fun speculating the next morning about what the outcome would be. It even has some nice subtle messages about friendship, taking chances, and not judging people at first glance. It's just an all around great book!
One more note--the paperback version has a beautiful binding, so even for a gift, I would just go with that.
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