A Gift from the Lonely Doll :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

a lovely Christmas gift, but...

2002-08-29
Like all Lonely Doll books, this story is completely charming and a wonderful Christmas gift for a teddy-loving child. But be warned, the paperback copy I purchased was disappointing because all the photographs were really quite blurry. That is why my rating was only 3 stars though Edith and the bears personally deserve more!

A memory-builder

2002-03-03
Dare Wright's classic "Lonely Doll" series books are of their time--Mr. Bear is very much in charge, and Edith questions her own opinions and rights--but they are classic nonetheless. Wright's photography, as always, complements the story beautifully, and perhaps especially so in "A Gift from the Lonely Doll." This story ought to be more well-known and more of a Christmas classic than it is. Edith wants to make something special for Mr. Bear. When she gives it to him, his reaction is unexpected. Still, it sets into motion her willingness to alter the gift to suit his expectations--and to subsequently be left with extra gifts to give! Charming.

Excellent

2008-06-26
I favorite of mine from when I was young and is now a favorite of my daughter. She treasures these books as I did. There's something magical about them...

Christmas, knitting, winter, and nice solutions

2007-04-24
While many Edith Doll books outdated socially (spankings, poor family relations). This book is a gem. It would be a great Christmas gift or a gift for a knitter. The images are great and the messages are great. Edith is making her gift by hand. Her brother (Little Bear) is trying to help and Edith doesn't want to listen. Little bear teases her stubbornness, just like a friend should. The Bears visit their cousins for Christmas (sleeding, ice skating, tree decorating, presents) and the family picture is nice. Edith comes up with a creative solution to her knitting disaster that pleases everyone and brings the loving family together.

OK, so this paragraph might be pushing it, but it has merit. I like that the family units in this book are not traditional. No kid would question the bear/doll family units. They are toys, but I suppose if you were looking for a book that was inclusive of race, adoption, physical differences, and sexual relations, this book might be one to pick up. You could infer that the two male bear cousins were gay lovers under cover (2 old male bears living to together in the country) The book could also illustrate diversity. Everyone loves Edith. There is no mention that she is different, though she is clearly physically very different from the rest of the family (and adopted!). This world is a happy world full of very real love and devotion.

Wonderful books

2007-01-03
I read these as a child but haven't seen them in years as they were out of print. I was so excited to give them to my niece.

Best of the series?

2006-02-06
Dare Wright, A Gift from the Lonely Doll (Houghton Mifflin, 1963)

Perhaps the best, and according to the jacket copy the best-loved, of the Lonely Doll books is A Gift from the Lonely Doll, originally published in 1963. In this episode, Edith (the titular character) decides to make a Christmas present for Mr. Bear-- a long knitted scarf. Little Bear, always the heckler, tells Edith constantly that the scarf is going to be entirely too long. He's right, but Edith solves the dilemma in a creative way.

This is the only installment of the series I've read where Edith and the bears actually seem to operate as a family unit, with no absentee parenting or weirdly erotic scenes of punishment. A good little book, one I'd actually consider giving to my kid. *** ½

Still Enchanting after all these years

2006-01-16
I loved this book as a child, and was thrilled to see
it reissued. Little Bear is the perfectly annoying little
brother nagging Edith about the gift that Mr Bear loved
even before it was "fixed".