The Surprise DollAuthor: Morrell Gipson
Artist: Steffie Lerch
©1949
Forward thinking children’s books come from all eras. Even though this book written in the 1940s, before the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, it is an excellent example of the understanding that we humans are more alike than different.
One girl wants a special doll. She visits a doll maker with the hope that she will have a doll for each day of the week. She has to leave her dolls with the toy maker. She misses her dolls.
When she returns to the toy maker on the appointed day, her surprise doll has qualities of each of her dolls. I won’t give away the biggest surprise.
This is one of my personal favorites. My father used to read it to me often. When I read it to my kids, I can remember the sound of his voice like an echo, “just like me.”
1 comment:
Kate, I have never read "The Surprise Doll," but I agree with you. When someone special reads you a story, it not only makes for a special memory, it also allows you to associate that story with the person. In my case, it was my nana and her wonderful storytelling abilities. I still remember sitting on her lap listening to her version of "Chicken Little."
Post a Comment