THE CHRISTMAS DOLL

In this tale rooted in actual events, a treasured Christmas gift is repaired and ready to be loved by a new owner.

Evie and her great-grandma Sue take Sue’s old, worn, beloved doll to Jay and his team to be spruced up. When Jay asks the story behind the doll, Sue tells him how, in 1939, she, along with other young evacuees, left London for the English countryside to escape the blitzkrieg. The kind couple she stayed with gave her the beautiful doll as a Christmas present, and she kept it to remember her time with them. Jay and the “Teddy Bear Ladies” restore the doll, which goes on to live another life with Evie. Backmatter notes that this story is based on the experiences of a young girl named Patricia and her doll Betty; it also describes the real Repair Shop, located in South Downs, England. Though many children will be drawn in by the holiday theme and the focus on a toy, the narrative will also expose them to a potentially unfamiliar chapter of history. Sue’s love for her doll is evident in the artwork, which also helps immerse readers in the World War II setting. Evie, Sue, and the Teddy Bear Ladies are light-skinned, while Jay is brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An engaging story full of both intergenerational appeal and Christmas cheer.