Customer Reviews

Betty Doll

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prepare to shed a few tears and be uplifted by this touching story of family love. Patricia Polacco bases her reminiscence on a letter her mother, Mary Ellen, wrote shortly before her death and a cloth hand sewn doll, Betty Doll.

When Mary Ellen was a child of six, her farmhouse home was destroyed by fire. The blaze also took her five dolls. Seeing how forlorn the little girl was, her mother suggested they make a new doll, which they did. Mary Ellen stitched the doll together, and embroidered its face.

Soon, Mary Ellen and Betty Doll were inseparable. They snuggled in bed together during Michigan thunderstorms, attended school, and had imaginative tea parties. The pair even visited relatives in Chicago, where both were clothed in pale blue crepe de chine.

As time went on Betty Doll watched Marry Ellen become an adult, eventually marry, and have children of her own. Daughter Trisha (Patricia Polacco) played with the doll herself. As Mary Ellen's grandchildren arrived, Betty Doll "kissed away tears, soothed hurt knees, and was a guest at hundreds of tea parties and slumber nights."

Illustrated in muted grays with Betty Doll the only bright spot on a page, this story is a reminder of the enduring bonds woven of memories and love.

Patricia Polacco has, once again, gone to her family for a story around which to hang her usual marvelous illustrations. "Betty Doll" doesn't disappoint. Polacco opens the book by telling the reader about her mother dying and about packing up her belongings and then finally going through them a year later. In some of the boxes Polacco packed up, she finds her mother's old, handmade cloth doll. Wrapped around it is the letter her mother wrote while dying of cancer.

Now before you decide that this is NOT a book for children, you should know that the book overall has a joyous, shimmering quality. The story concentrates on Betty Doll's travels and adventures, with Polacco deftly portraying Betty Doll in color while all else is in handsome but quiet black-and-white tones. This brings Betty's story to the fore visually, but as far as the story itself goes, she serves as a backdrop for different generations of Polacco's family.

The story is true, and it rings true. A little girl's love of her doll and the happiness she finds while playing with the doll come to the fore, as does the stability of Betty Doll throughout the changes of the little girl's life as she grows up, marries, and so on. This is a fine way to gently ease into discussing the cancer of a family member with any young child, but it is also an absorbing tale in its own right and stands ably on its own, aided by Polacco's usual impeccable illustrations.

As with many of Patricia's books, her stories touch the hearts of adults as well as children. I believe that this book, along with Pink and Say and others, is more of an intermediate to adult level book but is often marketed for young children because it is a picture book. Children could certainly grow up hearing this story and having it develop new meaning as they have their own life experiences. Betty Doll would make a wonderful gift to celebrate the love between mothers and daughters. I gave this book to my nine year old and she understood and enjoyed it very much. I think it will gain new meaning for her as she grows up. Remember, we are never too old for picture books, especially Patrica Polacco stories.

I like Betty Doll because it is a true story and it has pictures of real people on stands. It is also good because Betty Doll stands out in color because she is the main character and also the people are black with some color for the clothes. This book is about this little girl who makes a doll with her grandmother. The little girl named her Betty Doll. The little girl grew up and had children she gave her little girl Betty Doll. When her little girl was about 10 her great grandmother got cancer and the little girl who grew up and had Betty Doll was really sad. They remembered all there memories about Betty Doll and also how they made her and what they did with her. I recommend that you read Betty Doll because it is a true story and it is also very good

This is the first book by Patricia Polacco I have read. It was recommended to me because it is about a cloth doll made by the author's mother and I am a cloth dollmaker. The story is very touching and speaks about the love of mother and daughter with the cloth doll, "Betty Doll", being the thread to hold the story together. Patricia Polacco illustrates her own books and does a beautiful job. Her words are very simple, but very moving. This book is appropriate for all ages. But---let me warn you---it is a tear jerker for adults! Susan Daniel, Dallas

Mrs. Polacco has done it again. Her stories continue to touch me. Her willingness to share such a personal story of her heartbreak at losing her mother and the importance of this doll to both her mother and herself was deeply moving. I brought it to school to share with my colleagues and class. This is an outstanding piece of literature.

I disagree with the other reviews that say this is not a story for children. My daughter will be four next month. This book is one that we both enjoy:I enjoy reading it and she enjoys listening. She understands this is the story of someones life. The book has made it easier for me to approach the subjects of growing old and death of a loved one. I believe we should never shy away from exposing our children to such beautiful literature, which has serious issues to share. It is great to read a book that all family members can enjoy. Rather than parents having to say, "not that one again."

My class listened to Patricia Polacco read Betty Doll during an author study last month. This story was written from the heart and it was evident by the number of tears I saw rolling down the cheeks of my fourth graders and my own. Polacco out did herself on this one. This story makes a mother feel truly special. Polacco shares not only a story but a family treasure that has been cherished. We recomend this book to anyone with a heart. It will pull at your heart strings. What a beautiful way for Patricia to share her mother's memory with the world and say goodbye.

This is a beautiful story about Patricia Polacco's mother and the doll she made after a fire. It is a great example of writing and I use it to teach voice when teaching my writing students.

Patricia Polacco's story spans many, many years and while my 4 year-old was a little confused about who was who (a character grows from a child to a grandma to deceased,) I loved the story behind the story and reading about Polacco's mother's childhood. This book touched me and I spent the last 5 pages crying. My daughter and I talked about death and lasting love and the book was a great vehicle for this difficult conversation. Polacco is my favorite children's author and I am glad to have discovered this book.