Available:*
Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Juvenile Picture Book Hardback | 120791001161574 | J P POL | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Patricia Polacco shares a never-before-told story about her mother's favorite doll.
"My Darlin Trisha, my mother wrote..." So begins the story of Patricia Polacco's mother's favorite doll.
Whenever Mary Ellen needed Betty Doll, she was there. She survived blizzards and thunderstorms, attended parties and weddings, and helped mourn the deaths of old friends. From the day Trisha's mother first sewed Betty Doll together stitch by stitch, to the day, many years later, when she discovered she had cancer, her soft, sweet Betty Doll was there. Now Betty Doll lives on in Patricia Polacco's soft, beautiful artwork as Trisha shares the warm and poignant moments of her mother's favorite doll with readers of all ages.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Many of Polacco's books draw on her family memories and experiences, and this one is no exception. Using a letter from her mother that she discovered after the woman's death, she has created a special intergenerational book. Six-year-old Mary Ellen (Polacco's mother) made Betty Doll when her family's belongings were destroyed in a fire, and the doll accompanied her to her first day at a new school, saved her life during a blizzard, traveled with her to visit her relatives in Chicago, and was always there to offer comfort when things got tough. When Mary Ellen grew up and had children of her own, Betty was there to comfort Patricia and her brother, eventually becoming a symbol of family love and warmth, a focus for family history and a link with the past. The distinctive illustrations, done in pencil with soft muted grays, blacks, and pale yellows, emphasize the importance of "Betty Doll," the one bright spot of color on each page. The effect is reminiscent of old photographs and adds the perfect touch.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
After her mother's death, the author finds her parent's beloved doll, and the note attached to it inspires this story. "Polacco again elegantly embroiders a patch from the fabric of her own life in a moving tale that demonstrates the importance of family legacies," wrote PW. Ages 4-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Polacco pays homage to her mother and the handmade doll that serves as a touchstone between the generations. She describes her mother's childhood in rural Michigan, her adult life as a mother and a teacher, and her battle with cancer. Strong pencil drawings use a few hints of color washes to highlight the figure of Betty Doll. The nostalgic story will appeal more to Polacco's adult fans. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A doll becomes the vehicle for Polacco's ( The Butterfly , 2000, etc.) deeply felt remembrance of her mother, Mary Ellen. Told as a letter from a dying woman to her daughter, the story follows the author's mother from age six to old age, using Betty Doll as an ever-present reference point. "She sat on my dresser in the dorm, and then in Mrs. Borchst's boarding house when I got my first teaching job." This is at its most effective when telling of Mary Ellen as a child: in one sequence, she cuts the skirt of her aunt's best dress for a new dress for Betty Doll; in another, a fallen Betty Doll marks the place where Mary Ellen and her brother are trapped in a blizzard. But as Mary Ellen grows older, the story compresses her life into an obituary of sorts, becoming a recitation of adult events: marriage, divorce, the birth of her children, her mother's death, and finally Mary Ellen's own cancer. Although these events clearly mean much to the author, they are remote from a child's experience and lack the narrative excitement of the earlier episodes, and Betty Doll's presence becomes an almost mechanically noted device. The illustrations are wonderfully evocative of old photographs: the pencil drawings are nearly entirely black-and-white, with Betty Doll almost always the only spot of color on the page. This documentary effect is heightened by the inclusion of electronically reproduced family photographs that let the reader see the actual Mary Ellen growing up even as her story is being told. It is a beautiful, loving treatment of one woman's life, but in the end likely to resonate more with adults than children. (Picture book. 6-10)
Booklist Review
Gr. 3-5. As sensible as the circle of life may be, the death of a loved one is never an easy thing to endure. This immensely personal, unashamedly sentimental picture book for older children tenderly explores loss and love in equal measure. Betty Doll was Polacco's mother Mary Ellen's "plaything," a wisp of a doll made of rags and affection. Using the doll as a vehicle for family history, Polacco tells Mary Ellen's story in the form of a letter that tracks a life full of adventurous ups and heartbreaking downs that transcended geographic and generational boundaries. Just before Mary Ellen dies, Betty Doll is lovingly prepared for a new journey--to be a comfort to a daughter in time of great need, a reminder of a mother's love that never dies. In both her nostalgic text and pencil sketches touched here and there with pale color, Polacco gracefully offers the same timeless comfort to all who turn the pages and read. --Kelly Milner Halls