Reviews
A fantasy with one foot in reality, this third adventure for the mismatched team of antique porcelain Annabelle Doll and contemporary plastic plaything Tiffany Funcraft (previously encountered in The Doll People and The Meanest Doll in the World) has the daring duo running away from home, accompanied by Annabelle's newfound baby sister and soon joined by their brothers. Regretting their decision, not knowing the way home, they eventually land in the toy department of a large store, where they face new danger-being sold to separate owners. Obeying the Doll Code of Honor, the toys must wait until closing time to spring to life, which complicates their escape. Characters and their exploits are fresh: cowgirl Dakota Jane drives a wind-up truck; Elsipad is thrilled that proceeds from her sale "will be used to fight world hunger." The book opens with a narrative sequence of Selznick's (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) shaded b&w pencil drawings, which lure readers into the story and anticipate the first chapter, "The Mysterious Package." The lush illustrations-full bleeds as well as spot drawings and vignettes throughout -are integral expressions of the novel's spirit. Fast-paced, satisfyingly developed, the book is doubly enjoyable for its foundation in a solidly imagined doll culture.-- PW
Synopsis
Best friends Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are back, and this time they've got an unexpected visitor, a new doll named Tilly May. She's arrived in a mysterious package from London, but her face looks so familiar... . Could she be Annabelle's long lost baby sister? Annabelle is convinced it absolutely must be so-but her parents refuse to believe her. With time running out before the package is at risk of being sent back to England, Annabelle and Tiffany resort to the only course of action they can think of-running away. But life on the road is fraught with its own pitfalls, from a foreboding wooded park to a close call in a department store. How will Annabelle and Tiffany find their way back home and what's going to happen to Tilly May if and when they do? In this masterfully plotted third book in the Doll People series, Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, with the help of Brian Selznick's captivating black-and-white illustrations, take the reader on another exhilarating adventure from a doll's-eye view., In this masterfully plotted third book in Martin and Godwin's Doll People series, best friends Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are back. A new doll named Tilly May has arrived in a mysterious package from London, but she looks so familiar. Could she be Annabelle's long-lost baby sister?