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Blog: andrea joseph's sketchblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: AJ, doll, dolls, paper dolls, coloring, downloadable, andrea joseph, make yourself, The Red Case, colour in, colour yourself, cut out and make, edith, fosale, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Health, Halloween, Ages 4-8, Food and Drink, Tradition, Dolls, Gift Books, featured, Family Traditions, Activity Books, Halloween Books, Books About Witches, Candy Books, Holiday Gift Guide Kids Books, Healthy Eating Books for Kids, Audrey R. Kinsman, Milena Kirkova, Add a tag
The Switch Witch and the Magic of Switchcraft is actually a beautiful gift set that includes a Switch Witch doll and a storybook centered on the Switch Witch character.
Add a CommentBlog: the enchanted easel (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: kokeshis, vango art, penguins, birds, dolls, acrylic, kawaii, canvas, whimsical, original paintings, arctic, asian, squares, the enchanted easel, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Dolls, Author Showcase, Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg, Add a tag
In “Miss Flimp's Destiny” (AuthorHouse), the new children’s storybook by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg, readers follow a doll as she searches for her destiny, discovering that fate can lead one to a new beginning.
Add a CommentBlog: Playing by the book (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Inclusive/diverse books, Imagination, Sewing, Dolls, Fairies, Margaret Bloom, Add a tag
Making Peg Dolls & More: Toys that spin, fly and bring sweet dreams is a second book by Margaret Bloom full of ideas about how to make the most delightful peg dolls.
Like many families, now we’re in the run up to Christmas, we’re spending time getting crafty together, making presents and decorations, and this book has given us hours of delight. Full of ideas about how to customise wooden peg dolls into adorable characters, Bloom also provides lots of tutorials for how to use your peg dolls in innovative ways, such as in mobiles, wands, wall hangings and pincushion embellishments.
Super clear and friendly instructions, made beautiful and even easier to follow by the inclusion of simple but beautiful watercolour illustrations along with many photos of all sorts of children making and playing with peg dolls made sure this book really appealed to my kids as soon as they set eyes on it.
That the instructions are easy to follow and result in items which the kids are really proud of was clearly demonstrated by the way my 9 year old, M, took the book off by herself and created her first ever felt toys:
Although M was totally absorbed by herself in her sewing, as a parent I especially enjoyed Bloom’s emphasis in her instructions on how the whole family can take part in making their own peg dolls; she clearly indicates which parts even the youngest children can get involved with, and encourages us grown-ups to be involved, but also to let our kids do their own things with the dolls. This book isn’t about parents turning out coffee-table-book-worthy gorgeous ornaments (although we’re definitely encouraged to play, sew and create along side the kids); it really is about facilitating children’s exploratory play and creativity.
The book includes a list of suppliers of peg dolls, felt and one or two other items that are especially nice to use (such as artificial/millinery flower stamens) and I would heartily encourage you to gift a bundle of supplies, including some watercolours, with this book so that the recipient can dive in straight away. I’ve personally used Craftshapes for my blank wooden peg dolls in the past and they’ve always be lovely to deal with.
Here are some of the characters we created:
Whilst painting, sewing, sticking and playing we listened to:
If you want ideas about how to take things a step further with your peg dolls take a look at:
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed Making Peg Dolls & More: Toys that spin, fly and bring sweet dreams: It is beautiful to look at and filled with enticing projects, which are both achievable and give results to delight in. It is also a book which is very proud to be just a starting point; it’s really about giving you ideas which will bloom in you and your kids’ imaginations.
What family craft books would you recommend?
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.
Blog: the enchanted easel (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: art, dolls, acrylic, children's art, bamboo, kawaii, japanese, whimsical, original paintings, asian, lanterns, kokeshi, kimonos, the enchanted easel, Add a tag
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Kathy Kerber, Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg, Giveaways, Dolls, Add a tag
Enter to win an autographed copy of Miss Flimp's Destiny, written by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg and illustrated by Kathy Kerber. Giveaway begins April 3, 2014, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends May 2, 2014, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Add a CommentBlog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Fusenews, a cool cool robot, P.L. Travers, 90 Second Newbery, Children's Literary Salon, Best Books of 2013, evil baby gifts, interactive book lists, dolls, NYPL, bookshelves, movie posters, reading challenges, Latino children's books, Infographics, Add a tag
- It’s been a good week and it’s only Thursday! I’ve cooed and oohed and aahed over NYPL’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013 list before. Nothing new to say . . . or is there? I don’t suppose you happened to see NPR’s interactive booklist consisting of their Best Books of 2013 (in a rare moment of bliss, I like all their children’s book choices though some diversity wouldn’t have been out of place). Well, NYPL took one look at that list and thought, “Heck. We can do that.” And so they did! Meet the Interactive Books List of NYPL. It’s gorgeous. It’s user friendly. It’s the only place you can find animated Melissa Sweet. Overall, I rather love it. Hope you do too.
- In other best book news, Colby Sharp and Donalyn Miller teamed up at BuzzFeed and produced a list of 20 of the Best Children’s Books 2013. And AGAIN I like all the choices. Do you know how rare this is? Extra points for including Donner Dinner Party. Love that thing. Love anyone who includes it on a list.
- Having trouble keeping track of all the Best Of lists out there? Mr. Schu’s your man. Thanks to him, we now have a nicely compiled 2013 Best Books Lists posting. It’s very attractive. Of course, if you want the most complete listing out there, there’s no better place to go than Chicken Spaghetti. The information is AMAZING over there.
- A lot has been said lately about how big Best lists of children’s books this year have neglected to include any Latino characters (NPR and The New York Times most notably). Perfect timing then for the 2014 Reading Challenge suggested by Latin@s in Kid Lit. Take a look at the guidelines and join, but seriously? One book a month? I think you can handle that. They even have some suggestions to start you off (yay, Nino!).
- And, of course, if you read only one Best list, read the 100 Scope Notes highly hilarious Year in Miscellanea. Plus he mentions my superfluous little cupcake. Quoth he it’s, “the Axl Rose Hair Metal hair of picture book cover cupcakes.” You’re just going to have to read his piece to understand what that means.
- SLJ posted The Fault in Our Stars movie poster yesterday. And you know what? I love that tagline.
- I had this lovely Children’s Literary Salon earlier this month involving dolls in children’s literature, which got a little write-up in Publishers Weekly (thanks, Matia!). One of my guests was Krystyna Poray Goddu. She, in turn, created this kind of awesome booklist of dolls in books for kids. It’s really rather cool.
- Tempted to see Saving Mr. Banks in the theater this holiday season? Feel free but be aware that the film may be throwing P.L. Travers under the bus in the process. A great piece from Jerry Griswold, former Director of the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.
- GAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Well, geez. Most evil baby gift ev-ah.
- Anyone who has ever attended one of James Kennedy’s 90-Second Newbery Film Festivals will attest that they are a bundle of fun. Just the most delightful little films, created by kids, turning Newbery winners into concise 90-second films. Some are, understandably, better than others but there’s nothing cooler than sitting in a theater next to a kid who gets to see their film projected on a big screen for the first time in their young lives. Want to join in? The deadline for the next 90-second films is January 20th. So get cracking, young geniuses! For lots more information about the events and the showings, go here.
- Awww. This is so sweet. Over at Mocking It Up, Rebecca did me a solid and created this simply gorgeous infographic on the books that are topping the Mock Newbery lists around the country (she compiled results from 19 different Mocks). That’s a ton of work but the results are simply gorgeous. Wowzah! Well done, madam.
- Daily Image:
Why, yes. That IS a bookshelf in the shape of a robot.
Now you all know what you’re getting for your birthday. Surprise!
Blog: SACRED DIRT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: great books, dolls, giveaway, wish baby, Margaret Bloom, Add a tag
Almost.
Hanging up the washing.
Nubby and bare,
naked as day.
Wishing.
All pegs have wishes, but Jane wishes most, and longest.
For color, aliveness, adventure
beyond the laundry line.
Little does she know that today is the day.
Today the wind is listening.
It twists into a great spiral,
knocking the orderly yard to pieces.
A folding chair barrels across the green.
The chickens gawp, the dog haroops.
Wind whips like a sandblast
and all in one great whoosh, down comes the line!
Socks!
Pegs!
Helter-skelter, shilly-shally, willy-nilly, down!
And Jane, the wooden wisher, is free.
Free!
Free to don paint and petals,
from Making Peg Dolls, by Margaret Bloom |
from Making Peg Dolls, by Margaret Bloom |
It doesn't take much time.
Jane and the family find their secret selves:
Greek gods!
See, there's Jane in her purple hair.
She's waiting for wings.
She's changed her name to Athena.
Her coming-out party is next week.
Adventure awaits!
Making Peg Dolls, by Margaret Bloom is here!
Making Peg Dolls
from Making Peg Dolls by Margaret Bloom |
from Making Peg Dolls by Margaret Bloom |
I had no idea how joyful and addicting it would be.
The thing that amazes me about Making Peg Dolls
And I have a copy of Making Peg Dolls to give away!
Blog: SACRED DIRT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: picture books, birthdays, dolls, giveaway, freebies, good books, crafty gifts, wish baby, Margaret Bloom, kids and surgery, great books, Add a tag
We like to ring in Groundhog Day
with high style over here.
He sees his shadow, he doesn't see his shadow,
either way we get balloons
because Sugar Snack is four!
Bring on the sweets and sprinkles.
Sugar high!
I'm thinking of changing his name to "Cheeks."
Everyone likes a party.
Even small sewn friends.
Happy day, Cheeks.
And speaking of happy days,
Happy book birthday to Margaret Bloom of We Bloom Here.
"Making Peg Dolls" is a gorgeous book.
I can't wait to rave all about it.
And I will!
I get to be part of Margaret's blog tour, which starts today.
Margaret will be giving away a copy of "Making Peg Dolls"
to one of my lucky readers this month.
Stay tuned for giveaway details.
You can also visit Margaret as she tours the blog-globe.
Giveaways and surprises, oh my!
February 4th: The Crafty Crow
February 5th: The Magic Onions
February 6th: The Toymaker
February 7th: Clean
February 8th: Anna Branford
February 11th: Red Bird Crafts
February 12th: Art is a Way
February 13th: Softearth's World
February 14th: Chocolate Eyes
February 15th: Rhythm and Rhyme
February 18th: Wild Faerie Caps
February 19th: Sacred Dirt
I'm the caboose!
It's going to be brilliant.
Hooray, Margaret!
and in other news, goodbye Pip's tonsils...
That's our next adventure.
I'll let you know how we do.
Sugar Snack's birthday books:
I, Crocodile, by Fred Marcellino
Little Tug, by Stephen Savage
Alphabet City, by Stephen T. Johnson
Shortcut, by David Macaulay
In the Town All Year Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner
Blog: Theodesign.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: dolls, Add a tag
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: friendship, picture books, toys, dolls, puppets, books for girls, children’s books, jealousy, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages Nine to Twelve: Books for Third Through Sixth Grade, Teens: Books for young adults, Ages Four to Eight: Books for Pre-School Through Second Grade, Yona Zeldis McDonough, Malcah Zeldis, Dolls, Chapter Books, Author Interviews, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Biographies, Louisa May Alcott, Books for Girls, Madame Alexander, Marilyn Monroe, Add a tag
By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 5, 2011
Yona Zeldis McDonough is the talented author of many books for readers of all ages: fiction and non-fiction for adults and award-winning children’s books. She has most recently written the highly anticipated second book in her Doll Shop series, The Cats in the Doll Shop. Although a prolific writer, Yona still makes time for school visits and readings. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Nicki Richesin: It’s a great pleasure to interview you. You have proved a prolific writer of both fiction and nonfiction for adults, in addition to your award-winning children’s books. My daughter adored The Doll Shop Downstairs and The Cats in the Doll Shop. Could you explain how you first discovered Beatrice Alexander, or Madame Alexander as she’s known, and how her story inspired you to write about the resourceful Breittlemann family?
Yona Zeldis McDonough: I remember Madame Alexander dolls from my own childhood. I longed for them though I never had one back then. As an adult, I started collecting dolls and bought a few of Mme. Alexander’s creations for my collection. When I was reading about her early life, I found out that her father owned and operated America’s first doll hospital. It was on the Lower East Side and the family lived in an apartment above the shop. Beatrice (she was Bertha in those days) and her sisters were allowed to play in the doll hospital sometimes and when I learned that, I just knew: here was a perfect setting for a children’s story.
Many of your books are set in Brooklyn, where you live with your family. Why has this area of New York proved such a “fertile ground” as you put it in your work?
YZM: I love Brooklyn. It’s so vast and filled with its own history, character and even mysteries. It is both a part of New York, and yet retains a separate identity. I grew up in Brooklyn and so it holds many associations for me
Add a CommentBlog: In the Pages.... (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: toys, dolls, Add a tag
I am on the lookout for Christmas over here and I ran across this!! My Salon Doll is a newer doll out on the market, much like the American Girl counterpart, BUT you can actually wash, style, and dry her hair!! Oh yes, my girls are thinking this is SOMETHING!! Watch this short video to see how the hair is assembled on the dolls.
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Uncategorized, poetry, birds, dolls, Catcher in the Rye, cookies, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Edward Gorey, out-of-print books, texting, Saul Bass, Lord of the Flies, Cynthia von Buhler, multicultural picture books, Fusenews, Ben Rubin, big honking spiders, David Eldred, Scottish authors, Add a tag
When I first became interested in children’s literature I decided that it would be a good idea to teach myself about all the old greats of the picture book world. A good idea, but self-teaching is inherently limited. As such, I’ve missed a lot of folks. For example, until now “Saul Bass” meant nothing to me. Yet after reading the Ward Jenkins post on the Rizzoli reprint of Henri’s Walk to Paris, that is one book I would love to get my sticky digits on. Just gorgeous stuff.
I’ve noticed a couple of folks around the country working to make literary loving hip in the mind of the average consumer with varying degrees of success. One project that has interested me, though, is this Litpunch idea the Twin Cities are engaged in. Basically you get a card, you attend fun free literary events, and if you get your card punched twelve times you get a $15 gift card to a bookstore. I do wish the libraries were involved in some manner but it’s a great notion. Imagine if they did the same thing with children’s literature! I await that happening someday.
- This is impressive! Want a fabulous list of in-print books set on every continent of the world? And would you like such a list to also include activities and recipes and the like? Then I think it’s time to take a trip to Read Around the World. It’ll do your old heart good. Promise.
- Speaking of recipes, you know that fabulous book Press Here by Herve Tullet? Well, would you fancy trying a mess of Press Here cookies? Children’s Books for Grown-Ups has got the goods. It’s part of a regular “Bookish Bites” series. I’m seriously looking forward to how Natasha will tackle that upcoming Moomin birthday cake. There but for the grace of parental challenges go I . . .
- Once in a while at Hark, A Vagrant, Ms. Kate Beaton will reinterpret various Edward Gorey covers. Here’s one she may have missed. It appeared recently on the 50 Watt blog and features a Gorey spider. Have you ever seen a Gorey spider? Did you know that you were missing out? That your life contained a gigantic Gorey-spider shaped void?
Well now you know.
- Is texting “an ideal sp
6 Comments on Fusenews: Hotsy Totsy, Ducky, Spiffy, Etc., last added: 9/12/2011Display Comments Add a Comment
Blog: SACRED DIRT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: crafty, kid play, Japan, dolls, Add a tag
We loved making dolls for Haiti so much,
we simply had to do something for Japan.
Hurray for Dolly Donations, the blog
that connected us with the right people!
The kids helped me make three dolls
for displaced children in Japan:
repurposed pants and silk vest turned into Fuzzy Pink girl,
quilting scraps became Princess Leia Buns and Blue Bunnie.
(Thank you, Sharon for the beautiful scraps!)
We tied love notes to each doll
and said our farewells at the Post Office.
My hope is that three children
find comfort in the midst of hardship,
and that my three children understand
that they are not too small to give,
however small our gifts.
Blog: SACRED DIRT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: crafty, recycled, Japan, dolls, Add a tag
with the right people!
The kids helped me make three dolls
for displaced children in Japan:
quilting scraps became Princess Leia Buns and Blue Bunnie.
(Thank you, Sharon, for the beautiful scraps!)
Blog: SACRED DIRT (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: authors, dolls, parenting, crafty, good books, kid play, Add a tag
Pip and Winnie got to help hand sew the faces.
The skin, hair and dresses are made from repurposed fabrics.
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Blog: Playing by the book (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Music, Birds, Ballet, Dolls, Dancing, Princesses, Stories in tune, Add a tag
Last week I wrote about the picture books we’ve been reading as a way into enjoying the music of Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. As in the past I found the easiest way to get the girls to become familiar with the music was to play them clips from YouTube. The advantage of using these clips, apart from them being free, is that they tend to be short (5-10 minutes, which is great for ensuring kids don’t get bored), and that there is something interesting to look at whilst the music wafts over you.
Here are some of our favourite clips:
This clip shows Odile and the prince dancing at the ball, performed by the Kirov Ballet.
This clip shows the Pas de Quatre, peformed by the Bolshoi Ballet. My girls particularly like this and tried immediately to copy what they had seen!
Once M and J had seen the Bolshoi’s Pas de Quatre, I showed them Matthew Bourne’s Pas de Quatre. They were amazed to see men dancing ballet!
This was perhaps my favourite clip (I watched it 5 or 6 times with the girls and each time it brought tears to my eyes!). It shows the spectacular finale to Swan Lake by the American Ballet Theater.
This clip, from the Great Chinese State Circus, isn’t one for ballet purists, but my girls just adored it – they were amazed by the acrobatics.
Having listened to lots of shorter clips of music it was then easier to put
Blog: Children's Illustration (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Blog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: war, book review, fantasy, dolls, family life, J, loneliness, dollhouses, Add a tag
Again, a small and beautifully illustrated cover attracted my attention. This time, however, seeing that the author is Francesca Lia Block, whom I remember for Weetzie Bat, I was expecting something out of the ordinary.
Unlike The Very Little Princess, this time I got what I expected. In The Very Little Princess, it is the beautiful doll who is behaving badly.
In the House of Dolls, it is the young girl, Madison, who vents her loneliness, resentment and frustration on the stoic inhabitants of the dollhouse - the beautiful Wildflower, Rock Star and Miss Selene, and their unlikely companions, the camouflaged Guy, and B. Friend, "a devastatingly handsome stuffed bear," with a red crochet beret and flannel vest.
Disturbed by the news and her unfulfilling family life, Madison Blackberry sends Guy and B. Friend "to war." Then B. Friend is pronounced MIA. The usually serene dolls are devastated.
The dolls did not know that "war" was really a dusty box in a closet of the apartment where the dollhouse lived. It didn't matter. As far as Guy and Wildflower were concerned, that was war. War was life without each other.Eventually, the real war is over, and with the love of a caring grandmother and a tiny doll determined to make a difference, so too is the war in Madison's heart.
And Guy whispered, "War is being blinded and locked in a box, unable to see, hear, or touch you, my wildflower. War is being reminded that you are completely at the mercy of death at every moment, without the illusion that you are not. Without the distractions that make life worth living."A serious book that parallels much from the famous prayer, teaching the serenity to accept the things one cannot change; courage to change the things one can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Only 61 pages, beautifully and abundantly illustrated in black and white sketches, however, again, a book about dolls that is best suited for a more mature reader.
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Blog: Blue Rose Girls (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: real children, writing, fun, dolls, Add a tag
This is doll's food: the sandwiches are broken up chips, the salad is cabbage with the threadlike tops from a bulb of fennel, and the cake is a slice of banana with toothpaste squirted on for frosting. The four-year old brother thought of that one; his sister was I think a little distressed when he straightened out the doll's candy canes for candles.
Maybe you can see it better here:
The refreshments were in preparation for the ball - Fiona (one of the children I babysit) had plotted it all out before I arrived. It was not going to be much fun for Cissette (blond below) since her daughter Alice (lying on floor above) was going to eat all the food and do other naughty things. Before the ball, Alice was well-behaved, because she wanted a new dress. We made Cissette's outfit first: Fiona designed it and I spent most of the afternoon sewing it while the dolls talked:
Fiona loved it and I have to admit, I was rather proud of it, too. It even has two buttons on the back.
There is something about these afternoons that's inspiring. Fiona and Ethan are both really creative, and just hearing what they say and getting in touch with that side of myself is really fun. And I think (do you agree?) that having ANY kind of fun is inspiring. It puts you in a playful state of mind, and when I've really had fun, I'm willing to work/write. When ALL I do is work/write, I don't want to do it. But sometimes the inspiration is more specific: when I told them an incident from my new novel, Fiona smiled and said,
"That sounds like something Alice would do."
Blog: Pinky's Please Touch Museum (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: collections, kids, classics, toys, dolls, Add a tag
Please Touch Museum collects toys. Best sellers, iconic, and loaded with lots of play value. A lot of toys offer open-ended play experiences so that you can come back over and over and they still remain fun. Toys and games your grandparents played with can be toys and games that your child plays with today: alphabet blocks, teddy bears, Monopoly and more. And then there’s some toys that come down the pike and EVERYONE simply has to have one! They are called fads and kids love ‘em!
In the 1930s, Shirley Temple dolls from Ideal Toy & Novelty Company were all the rage. Fashioned in the likeness of the child actress, the dolls realized $45 million in sales by 1941.
1950s—The Hula Hoop made by Wham-O became THE toy to have. The company sold 25 million of them in four months.
1960s— What was the second top-selling doll behind Barbie? Troll dolls! Everyone loved them and everyone had to have them. Created by Thomas Dam of Denmark.
1970s— Advertising executive Gary Dahl spawned a fad with Pet Rock! They were rocks…marketed as if they were live pets.
1980s—Lots of toy fads…Rubik’s Cube, made by Ernö Rubik, sold 4.5 million in 1980.
Blog: DRAWN! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: blog, Flickr, dolls, Crafts, plush, jon burgerman, John Allison, Use Tags - Not Categories, Felt Mistress, Jon Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Louise Evans, Add a tag
Felt Mistress AKA Louise Evans (previously featured on Drawn!) is a UK-based stitcher, prolific tea drinker and creator of some of the best darn dolls these adoring eyes have ever gazed upon. Utilizing skills learned as a couture dress maker and milliner, Lousie works with her partner, illustrator Jonathan Edwards, on a wild and wooly array of wonderful one-off creatures. Other notable collaborations include her work with three very talented Jon’s; Jon Burgerman, Jon Knox and John Allison.
Current projects include shows such as Brain Drain with Jon Burgerman, Heliumcowboy (link might not be safe for work), Plush You! LA, a few upcoming custom shows and some super duper top secret solo projects to which she claims she’s sworn to secrecy (for the time being). To keep up with the latest from Felt Mistress (and to see if she coughs up any of those highly guarded secrets!), you can happily follow along with her blog or flickr stream. I know I will!
Posted by Stephan Britt on Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog |
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Tags: blog, Crafts, dolls, Felt Mistress, Flickr, John Allison, jon burgerman, Jon Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Louise Evans, plush
Blog: Shelf-employed (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: book review, fantasy, dolls, girls, loss, mothers, grandparents, J, Add a tag
Bauer, Marion Dane. 2010. The Very Little Princess. New York: Random House.
"All books are judged by their covers until they are read."
from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood.
I try to read across a broad spectrum of children's literature, to help me in my job as a children's librarian. I take Reader's Advisory seriously and try hard to match each child with the perfect book. Towards that end, I picked up The Very Little Princess, thinking that I have been neglecting, (for lack of a better term) "girly-girl" books. The delightful pink cover with Elizabeth Sayles' fanciful artwork attracted my attention and sealed the deal.
I could not have been more wrong, however, in classifying this short tale as a lighthearted story for girls. (spoiler alert)
One fine June morning, Zoey is surprised by her mother's off-hand remark that they will be leaving soon for her grandmother's house.
Of course, visiting your grandmother probably is natural for you. But it wasn't for Zoey. The truth is she had never met her grandmother. Until that moment, she hadn't even known she had a grandmother!Zoey dutifully packs a cardboard suitcase (she is by nature a dutiful girl) and goes off to her grandmother's rural home where she is again surprised to find that her mother and grandmother do not appear to be on good terms. In fact, they argue heatedly, prompting Zoey to go exploring, and thereupon to find a most beautiful three and one-quarter inch tall doll. She is further surprised when the tiny doll sits upright and sneezes!
What child has not dreamed of a doll that comes to life? But this is not the doll of dreams. Princess Regina, (as she likes to be called), is a self-centered, bossy doll, a doll that treats Zoey as a servant. But Zoey, being by nature a dutiful girl, is not particularly bothered by Regina's selfish, narcissistic behavior. In fact, she comes to love the diminutive princess, and in her fashion, the princess loves Zoey, too. As the book jacket declares in similar terms, this is an expertly crafted story of family, friendship, love and loss. It is. It also, however, the story of a loss so profound that the dust jacket's cheery countenance might leave a young reader bereft, as she reads that Zoey's mother leaves her, with nothing more than a cheerful, "Be good," with a woman that a day ago, she never even knew existed. Zoey is left with her grandmother because her mother needs to be alone. Does this really happen? I'm sure that it does. Should it happen in a short, cheerful, small-sized book that is suggested for ages 6-9? I'm not sure. In the final chapter, the reader finds that the grandmother turns out to be a kind, wise, and loving woman, but the loss is still great. Place this book in the hands of a child who is capable of understanding and appreciating the story.
Read it as a well-told story, a unique story, even an enchanting story; but don't judge this book by its cover.
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Love-love-love this post! Thanks again, Zoe! I love the ballet Coppelia. It was the first live ballet I saw as a child’ sigh.
This post has brought back so many wonderful childhood memories. My sister and I often made peg dolls as children and my daughter would love to make these. One to add to my Christmas wishlist
Catherine, if you bundle the book up with some of the things you need (felt, blanks,etc) this will make a gorgeous present that will give hours of delight