Big Susan by Elizabeth Orton Jones.
There are lots of doll books that could accompany a Christmas gift of a new doll or a new dollhouse, but not all of them are set at Christmastime as this one is. By the Caldecott-winning author of Prayer for a Child, Big Susan tells the story of the Doll family—Mr. and Mrs. Doll, Freddie Doll and the other five Doll children, Cook, and Nurse—and what happened to them in their dollhouse on Christmas Eve.
They were used to Susan’s hands reaching in to help them. They knew whenever they spoke it was really Susan speaking for them. They understood this was a part of being who they were. And they didn’t mind a bit, for they loved Susan.
There was, of course, one short night in every year when they needed no help from Susan—the Night between twelve o’clock of Christmas Eve and the dawn of Christmas Morning—that Wonderful Night when all dolls come alive and can speak. But once a year is not very often.
The rest of the time they depended on Susan.
This book is slow-paced and imaginative, a perfect read aloud for preschoolers and a fun independent read for emergent readers. There is very little drama or adventure in the story, just minor disappointments and surprises for a peaceful and pleasant Christmas story that some children, at least, will want to read over and over again. For the thoughtful, meditative child who enjoys his or her own dolls and doll-play.
A reprint edition of this timeless story is available from Purple House Press. If you visit their website, you’ll want to check out some of the other classic children’s books that Purple House has made available for a new generation of readers.