Module 5 -- The Doll People

 

Citation: 

Martin, A. M. and Godwin, L.  (2003). The doll people. New York: Hyperion Books.

Summary: 

Annabelle has lived in the same doll house with her family for 100 years, and has been through three generations with the same family. In general, she finds her life to be pretty boring, and she can’t help but feel like she’s missing out on something. Her Auntie Sarah has been missing for 45 years with no hint of her whereabouts. But two exciting things are about to change Annabelle’s life. A new doll house family moves into Katherine’s little sister’s room. They are plastic, modern, adventurous, and have just he “edginess” that Annabelle needs to add a little spark to her life. In addition to that, Annabelle has a secret. She’s found a journal in the house which has turned out to be her Auntie Sarah’s old journal. She may have all the clues she needs to find out what happened to her auntie after all these years. Will she be able to rescue her and bring her back to the doll house?

Impressions:

This was a cute book for elementary age children, but it seemed obviously geared toward female readers, as most boys have no interest in porcelain dolls or doll houses. I don’t believe the element of mystery would be enough to entice or sustain a boy’s interest. It was a bit slow moving at times, but overall a fun read. The addition of the Funcrafts family to the story was a clever way to introduce themes of embracing the differences in others. The Funcrafts have a loud and rambunctious way about them that is first off-putting to the older members of the doll house. However, as both families get to know each other, and combine efforts to face challenges, they soon have forged friendships. A second theme of setting aside your fears to go after what you want is a great message for this audience that is beginning to exercise more freedom, and face more responsibility as they move up in the ranks of school. The illustrations by Brian Selznick were a nice addition to the book, and helped to juxtapose the muted looked of the porcelain dolls against the shiny, plastic Funcrafts.

Usage in a Library Setting: 

This book could be paired with a paper doll making activity in the library. Depending on how much time you have with the kids, you could invite them to help you make a doll house for the library using recycled goods (cans, bottles, cardboard, egg crates, discarded toys and figurines, etc.). It may be a project that continually gets built upon at various points in the year. Incorporating different types of materials and “mismatching” figurine toys can help build on the conversation about accepting differences, and the fact that creativity can abound when different “worlds” are brought together.

Review:


Annabelle Doll is eight years old, as she's been for over one hundred years, and she's starting to find her circumscribed life stifling: she and her family are played with by Kate (or, without permission, by Kate's little sister, Nora) or they engage in mild and quiet diversions like singalongs when the humans are out or asleep. Things have changed, however, with Annabelle's discovery of the diary of her Aunt Sarah, who disappeared forty-five years ago, and with the arrival of a lively plastic doll family, the Funcrafts, whose daughter Tiffany becomes Annabelle's bosom friend. The two doll girls decide to find Annabelle's missing aunt, but on the way they have to deal with obstacles such as the household cat and the Dolls' longsimmering family issues that surround Sarah's disappearance. The dolls-come-- alive plot retains its eternal allure, and Martin and Godwin make particularly entertaining use of the contrast between the dignified, handmade Dolls and the intrepid, happy-go-lucky Funcrafts. The plotting doesn't really justify the book's length, however, since the pacing is slow and indistinct; there's also some contrivance to aspects of the Dolls' life (the chronology doesn't quite account for some concrete details or family feelings). It's therefore not up to the standard of living-- doll titles such as Waugh's The Mennyms (BCCB 5/94) and Griffiths' Caitlin's Holiday (10/90), but it's still a cozy and gently imaginative adventure, and its convenient chapter breaks add to its utility as a readaloud. Selznick's soft pencil illustrations thickly populate the pages in spot art and full-page views; while there's more visual similarity between the Dolls and the Funcrafts than readers will expect, the embracing design is cozy, and readers will particularly appreciate the inventive endpapers advertising each family of dolls.  

Review Citation:

Stevenson, D. (2001). The doll people. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 54(5), 187.