The Doll People (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author), Brian Selznick (Illustrator), HPFC (Author) "ANNABELLE looked around the dollhouse nursery, feeling restless..." (more)
Key Phrases: Auntie Sarah, Uncle Doll, The Captain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Annabelle Doll is 8 years old--and has been for over 100 years. Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle's Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt's fate. And when she discovers Auntie Sarah's old diary, she becomes positively driven. Her cautious family tries to discourage her, but Annabelle won't be stopped, even though she risks Permanent Doll State, in which she could turn into a regular, nonliving doll. And when the "Real Pink Plastic" Funcraft family moves in next door, the Doll family's world is turned upside down--in more ways than one!

Fans of The Borrowers and Stuart Little will love this exciting story of adventure and mystery. The relationship between the two doll families, one antique, one modern, is hilariously, wonderfully drawn. The Funcrafts are reckless and raucous, with fearlessness born of their unbreakable plastic parts. The Doll family is reserved and somewhat prim, even though they occasionally break into '60s tunes like "Respect" in their sing-alongs. Annabelle is a heroine with integrity and gumption. Ann Martin (The Babysitters Club series) and Laura Godwin create a witty, intriguing tale, illustrated with humor and a clever eye for detail by Brian Selznick. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Passed down from one generation to the next, the Doll family has lived in the same dollhouse, located in the same room of the Palmer family's house, for 100 years. While the world outside has changed, their own lives have notDwith two significant exceptions. First, Auntie Sarah Doll suddenly and mysteriously disappeared 45 years ago, when the Doll family belonged to Kate Palmer's grandmother. More recently, the modern, plastic Funcraft family has moved into Kate's little sister's room. Following the time-honored traditions of such well-loved works as Rumer Godden's The Doll's House, The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh and Pam Conrad's and Richard Egielski's The Tub People, Martin and Godwin inventively spin out their own variation on the perennially popular theme of toys who secretly come to life. By focusing on Annabelle's and Tiffany Funcraft's risky mission to find Auntie Sarah, the authors provide plenty of action and suspense, yet it is their skillfully crafted details about the dolls' personalities and daily routines that prove most memorable. Selznick's pencil illustrations cleverly capture the spark of life inhabiting the dolls' seemingly inanimate bodies. The contemporary draftsmanship frees the art from nostalgia even while the layoutDwhich presents the illustrations as standalone compositions as well as imaginatively integrated borders and vignettesDreinforces the old-fashioned mood of the doll theme. Doll lovers may well approach their imaginative play with renewed enthusiasm and a sense of wonder after reading this fun-filled adventure. Ages 7-10. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (August 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786812400
• ISBN-13: 978-0786812400
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,843 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, December 28, 2000

By	Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Doll People, The (Hardcover)

Annabelle Doll is an eight-year-old, and has been since she was made some 100 years ago! Part of a family of eight (including Papa Doll, Mama Doll, Uncle Doll, Auntie Sarah, Nanny, Annabelle, little-brother Bobby and Baby Betsy), Annabelle lives her little-girl doll existence - being played with, avoiding The Captain (her owner's cat), and most of all avoiding being seen as alive. However, when she discovers the journal of Auntie Sarah, who has been missing since 1955, she decides to find out what happened to her.

Things become better when her owner's little sister receives the Funcraft Doll House, complete with a brand new plastic family - neighbors. Annabelle, who must be cautious, to protect her china body, makes great friends with Tiffany Funcraft, who is wild and adventurous, with her unbreakable plastic body. Together the girls dare all (or a lot anyway), to find Auntie Sarah.

This book has an absolutely fantastic story. The author succeeds in keeping the main characters in character as dolls, showing their unique existence. There is a great deal of gentle humor, with the illustrations providing just the right amount of action, not distracting from the story. My 9-year-old daughter loved the story, and had absolutely no problem reading it. I recommend this book to everyone with a daughter!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 8 Years Old and Over 100, October 21, 2002

By	S. Lane Solona "laney" (Alaska, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doll People, The (Hardcover)

I wish this was Book One of a very long series...unfortunately, it currently stands alone. The story is delightfully imaginative and unique, told from the perspective of a porcelain family of dolls who surreptitiously live with the fourth generation of their beloved human family. Aided by the recent discovery of a secret journel, Annabelle, the little girl doll, resolves to decipher the mystery of her Aunt Sarah's disappearance from the house forty years before. Along the way, she learns the values of courage and friendship, determination and family love. Filled with adventure and truly interesting perspective, the book also teaches children about the differences in society today versus life 100 years ago. It's accompanied by wonderfully drawn illustrations that are featured throughout the book on practically every page. My daughter, aged 6, really loved the story and insisted upon sleeping with the book at night in place of her usual stuffed animals! In our family, this book ranks right up there with Charlotte's Web and Harry Potter.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doll People.. come to life!, October 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Doll People, The (Hardcover)

What a terrific story! My daughter (10 yrs) and I read this book together during our nightly ritual for reading before bedtime (together), and each night we had difficulty putting the book down, wanting to just keep reading to see what would happen next! The author writes in such a way that it makes one feel as if they are right there, living the story along with the charecters. When everyone at Kate's house is fast asleep the Doll family comes alive, inspiring the imagination and for some of use remembering a time when we too wondered if our dolls ever came alive when we weren't looking!

A great story, with wonderfully animated charecters, a good mystery and fun suspense that'll keep tickling your funny bone, especially when the Captain (a real live cat) decides to investigate the dolls, or a real spider almost the same size as one of the doll charecters, crawling a wee bit too close for comfort, truly awakening the imagination with the authors knack for giving just the right amount of detail to keep your mind wanting for more...

I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys sharing great stories with their children, especially moms and daughters.. even for adults who have a passion for dolls. Excellent, will be one of my favorites for a long long time.