THE APPLE DOLL

Lizzy loves her apple tree in all seasons, but now that it’s fall, she’s very worried about her first day at school. For comfort, she makes an apple doll, Susanna, to be her friend. At school, she’s told “no food,” “no toys,” and some children some make fun of her, so she stays home. Lizzy is still lonely and her apple is getting mushy. As the family is baking, canning and drying apples, she wonders, “Could we dry Susanna?” and she and her mother turn Susanna into a dried-apple doll. As the apple soaks and dries each day, Susanna becomes more wrinkled and smiley. With a new body and dress, all the children love Susanna on “sharing day” and want to make their own. Naturally, this helps Lizzy become a part of the classroom. Kleven’s signature illustrations are bright, textured and bold with watercolor, ink, colored pencil and collage. The front endpapers are full of apples and those in the back are full of funky, delightful apple dolls. Two final pages tell how to make an apple doll, a craft sure to be added to the standard apple curriculum. (Picture book. 4-7)