Sadly, I never read Rumer Godden as a child. But it is never too late to start.

This particular book consists of four short stories about, you guessed it, dolls.

Usually when I read a book of short stories I find myself enjoying some but not all. I may even strongly dislike some .

Not this time. I loved all four equally.

What a lovely book. Dolls and other toys that talk with each other and wish for boys and girls to give them a home.

Read this when Sarah was little. I absolutely LOVE that the story of Impunity Jane (which also is my favorite of the four stories)has a male protagonist. Written with Godden's lovely style this little book is a terrific read aloud or read alone for both boys and girls.

As a child, I grew up reading Rumer Godden's doll stories, and later graduated to her novels. To be honest, her work for adults is uneven--some is excellent (such as In This House of Brede) while other books are less than stellar; though I know tastes are personal, I think it's safe to say that "Gypsy, Gypsy" is not her best work. However, her doll stories are all quality work, as she gets inside the minds of her characters, from spoiled brats to unloved "difficult" children to the bereft. Even her dolls are "real people", so I was delighted to stumble across this book secondhand. It contains a story I searched fruitlessly for as a child in the 1960s, and now I know why.

"Impunity Jane" is the story of a little bisque doll that was sold for fivepence halfpenny in the 19th century. Over the generations she is passed down from one little girl to another, but none of her owners is sensitive enough to percieve her desire for adventure. Only when she is stolen by a little boy do her horizons widen. And now I know why this story was unobtainable in my small, rural Midwestern town. Boys who play with dolls? Nonsense! Even in the seventies, you couldn't have got a copy of William's Doll for love nor money. That just ain't right!

"The Fairy Doll" tells the story of a child who is unlike her siblings; not pretty, not clever, not slim and capable. It takes some special magic to bring her out of her shell. Oh, honey, I hear ya. My mother gave me a copy of this book, I think to salve her conscience about her true feelings about her clumsy, nearsighted ugly-duckling daughter (me). Unfortunately, she forgot to provide a loving grandma and a fairy godmother to help me out; I had to help myself. And they wonder why I ran away from home and never went back.

"Holly and Ivy" is a quintessential wish-fulfillment Christmas story, for all the characters involved; well, all except the nasty stuffed owl. Curl up under a quilt with a cup of something sweet and warm, and enjoy.

"Candy Floss" is my least favourite of all Godden's doll stories, and always was. I don't know why, it just didn't work for me. Today though I can appreciate the character of the spoiled little girl who is "very good at wanting" and doesn't understand that she is not the centre of the known universe. There's some excellent writing here, even if it's not a story I can take to my heart.

The illustrations add to the charm of these life-affirming stories. And remember, dolls are meant to be played with. A doll that you can't play with is no better than a book that's not meant to be read.

Read these sweet short stories with Brooklyn; beautiful language for reading aloud. Any little girl who enjoys dolls would find themselves in a world of make belief with each of them.

This was a real find. If you have a daughter in the appropriate age group (5-7 or thereabouts), a book like this is as good as gold. All four stories are very involving, have truly emotional moments, and encourage children--without heavy-handedness--to think about moral issues like greed and loyalty. Godden draws her characters with great imagination and feeling.

Note: The book has quite a few nice post-Narnia Pauline Baynes illustrations.

Charming, old-fashioned doll stories, especially The Story of Holly and Ivy and Candy Floss.

If I ever decide to get married and have kids, these are the books I'm going to read aloud to them.

Rumer Godden is wonderful!

What a great book to read with my six-year-old daughter; I'm so glad we found this at the library. This collection is out-of-print; it is a shame these tales are being allowed to fade into obscurity as they really should be considered classics of children's literature.

If you're like me, you're thinking, "Dolls? Four stories about dolls?" I'm not a big fan of doll/toy stories usually. I appreciate The Velveteen Rabbit as a children's classic, but it's not one of my favourites. These stories, though, are pure magic. Two of them are Christmas stories, and the other two, interestingly, are about boys and dolls (because boys can like dolls without being "sissies", although you don't see that message enough). Anyway, these are amazing stories. My favourite is "The Story of Holly & Ivy", which you can get as a separate, gorgeously illustrated book. The collection of all four stories is sadly out of print, though.

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