Poor Birdie RIP. :(
really nice book. Id like to read more like this.

I had read this book as a child, as well as other doll books by Rumer Godden, and loved it. I recently became interested in Rumer Godden again, so read a biography of her. I was inclined to reread some of children's books, so found this one at my local library. I loved it again, and recollected some of it, although this time around I found disturbing what happened to one of the dolls. Perhaps I'm more sensitive in my older years. But overall, a satisfying re-read.

I remember reading this as child, but didn't remember quite how melancholy it is, although also quite charming. The little illustrations by Tasha Tudor also add to the story. It was written in 1946 and there's something of the wartime make-do-and-mend philosophy in it.

Tottie, a little wooden doll, and her family, are thrilled to move into a dollhouse.

This is an adult re-read of a book I remember loving as a child. My mom and I collected dolls for several years, adding to our collection with Salvation Army trips. I half-believed (or at least wanted to believe) that they had their own little lives when my back was turned. This story held up well this time through. Tottie is an admirable, strong female character who refuses to give up hope, even when a mean china doll arrives to take over the house. There's a surprising death in the story that serves a purpose. I think this would be a bit hard for a kid to read and get into today, but it brought back good memories for me.

A little sad, but good

On the one hand it's a children's classic about a dolls' house.
On the other, it's about a doll with PTSD following his ill treatment by the children who previously owned him meeting a doll with learning disabilities and them adopting 2 other dolls. They support one another and the daughter of the family in particular supports her adopted parents. When a narcissistic psychopath comes into their lives, the mother doll selflessly does what she can to save her son from him, with devastating consequences.

I’m on a kick to re-read some of my favorites from my childhood and I randomly came across this one. I remember loving this book, mostly because it wasn’t all “fake-happy” and for that reason seemed somehow more grownup to me, even as a child. It’s sad but with a somewhat redemptive little ending. (Reminds me of a 1948 version of “Toy Story”) I was probably 8 or so when I read it as a child, so it seemed like an old book even then, but I can still remember the emotions I had reading it. What amazes me is that re-reading beloved childhood books as an adult can bring you right back to your 8 year old self.

This is a complicated book for me - I adored it as a child but parts of it really scared me! I absolutely recommend it but I guess I would suggest to a parent that they might want to read it before giving it to their child. (To give you a clue this book was written by the woman who went on to write Black Narcissus! She has a certain dark sensibility.) I have written about it at some length in two blog posts as it is a book that has stood the test of time in my memory. These posts contain spoilers for the book so beware. They can be found at: https://pams-pictorama.com/2019/11/30... and at https://pams-pictorama.com/2018/11/11... or by searching my blog site, Pams-Pictorama.com.

A charming tale by a master story teller. Ms Goddon brings this doll family, the Plantaganets, to life and gives them a realistic drama. I understand the inspiration for this story was the doll house she bought for her own young daughters.

Old fashioned - but a precursor to Toy Story with ‘live’ dolls. Good to read together - ages about 5 to 8.

This book is based on a doll family that can talk but humans don't know it. When their owners inherit an old fashioned doll's house, they really like it. When a new arrival comes to the doll house, she claims that the doll house is hers. The doll family need to do all they can to stop the unwelcome intruder from taking over their home. This is also a short book that took me a week to finish. It is written in an old fashioned style of writing. If you liked this book, you will like Little Plum by Rumer Godden.

C. fiction, children's fiction, grade 3, fantasy, doll family, from stash, discard