________________ CM . . . . Volume VII Number 17 . . . . April 27, 2001

cover The Grandmother Doll.

Alice L. Bartels. Illustrated by Dusan Petricic.
Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2001.
24 pp., pbk. & cl., $7.95 (pbk.), $17.95 (cl.).
ISBN 1-55037-667-5 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55037-666-7 (cl.).

Subject Headings:
Dolls-Juvenile fiction.
Play-Juvenile fiction.

Kindergarten - grade 2 / Ages 5 - 7.

Review by Catherine Hoyt.

*** /4

excerpt:

The sun was pouring in her window, but Katy had to stay indoors. She had the flu, and she was hot, achy, and angry.

"It's not fair," she told herself out loud. "I almost never get to watch TV!"

"At least you have a TV," a small voice said, "which is more than some people do."

"Who's that?" asked Katy. "Who's there?"

image This is author Alice Bartels' second book for children. This story was originally published in 1993 by the same publisher. Katy is sick with the flu and stuck in the house on a beautiful day. Both mother and daughter are becoming short tempered. Katy grumpily retreats to her bedroom to wallow in self pity. But that doesn't last long as suddenly Grandmother Doll speaks up. Grandmother Doll makes Katy realize that she doesn't have it that bad after all. They watch their own TV and bake their own cookies in Katy's bedroom. Katy tires herself out playing with her new friend. Finally, an exhausted Katy makes Grandmother Doll a little bed. Then Katy crawls into her own bed and falls fast asleep. Bartels shows that a little imagination can go a long way. Many parents will relate to dealing with a grumpy child who's stuck at home because she's too sick to go out and play. Award winning illustrator Dusan Petricic has done a fine job with these colourful watercolor illustrations. His depiction of a child's messy room may be recognized by many readers. I would recommend this story for read aloud or lap reading. A perfect story to read to a child who's feeling a bit under the weather.

Recommended.

Catherine Hoyt is the Curator of the Eileen Wallace Children's Literature Collection at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - April 27, 2001.

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