Dahlia

Charlotte was not the kind of girl who played with dolls. No, she enjoyed making mud cakes with her stuffed teddy-bear, Bruno, climbing trees, and beating the neighborhood boys at wagon-racing. So when her Aunt Edme sends her a delicate doll, with a prim mouth and fancy clothing, Charlotte is less t......more

This is one of my all time, favorite-ever picture books. I adore Barbara McClintock. Her illustrations exude a detailed elegance that bring to mind Victorian parlors, frilled cuffs, and high tea. But in this book she pairs that elegance with the fresh, rough air of the outdoors. These two opposing f......more

Oh, I’m so glad I’ve found Barbara McClintock. This is another winner from her. Unlike Charlotte, the girl in the book, I did like dolls when I was a girl, but I liked dolls who make appearances in books even better. This is a fabulous book where a doll becomes a central character. The story is funny a......more

I liked this story of a little girl who prefers to play outdoors and was dubious of her fancy new doll at first, but quickly grew to love it. The illustrations are very detailed and enrich the story with subtle changes in the doll's expression and cute positioning of the teddy bear. The picture for......more