  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/15/2016 Young readers are in for a treat with this picture-book outing of Martin and Godwin’s Doll People cast. As the Palmers ready their (human) house for Christmas, so too do the toy families that reside in the Palmer girls’ dollhouses. Annabelle Doll is abuzz with excitement as decorations begin to appear in her Victorian dollhouse—a wreath, gingerbread cookies, cheerfully wrapped presents, and, at last, the tree. Compounding her holiday joy is the prospect of sharing it with her best friend, Tiffany Funcraft, who lives in the new “modern” dollhouse. Unfortunately, things begin to go awry and threaten to ruin Annabelle’s plans for a perfect Christmas. An impromptu adventure within the Palmer house sees a happy resolution. And guess what? Christmas isn’t ruined at all. Helquist’s velvety pastel-like illustrations loom large on every page, encapsulating the story’s adventurous feel and doll’s-eye view of the world, as well as the warm spirit of the Christmas holiday, where lights sparkle and ornaments shine. Relatively text-heavy, this is one to snuggle down with on a long winter night. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 K-Gr 3—Victorian Annabelle Doll and her best friend, contemporary Tiffany Funcraft, appear in this Christmas picture book. Annabelle worries that the holiday is ruined because the angel that always tops the Doll Christmas tree is broken. To make matters worse, Kate and Nora dress up the dolls like sheep and angels and put them in the crèche downstairs. There is a moment of danger involving Captain the cat, but all is well with the world by the story's end. Helquist's large, expressive illustrations perfectly capture the action, drama, and humor. VERDICT Fans of the "Doll People" chapter books will welcome seeing the familiar characters in a slight but engaging holiday story. It is sure to spark renewed interest in those popular titles.—Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |