Doll People, the: 1 Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Sept. 2003

Who doesn't love the idea of toys coming to life when humans aren't around? I remember very well fantasising about this as a child. This story feeds directly into that reverie, and I would have LOVED this as a child, it would have enthralled me.Our characters are dolls, living in a doll house in the bedroom of a girl whose mother and grandmother also played with them. A family, with parents, children, a nanny, they are wooden, traditional models, and well looked after. But Annabelle, much like Arrietty in the Borrowers, has yearnings to explore more than the doll house, as well as the urge to find out what happened to her aunt, who disappeared decades before and whom nobody ever speaks of.It is the appearance of her aunt's diary and the arrival of a new family of plastic dolls for a younger human in the house that changes Arrietty's everyday world and opens up her existence to wider possibilities.Selznick gives us his superlative black-and-white drawings, showing the dolls in their houses as realistic wooden/plastic toys one moment and strangely-shaped moving and thinking beings the next. They enrich the story and give the characters life.The story is wonderful for readers - the life of a doll and how they see the human world, the rules of keeping the secret from people, the mystery of what has happened to Auntie Sarah, the introduction of new and different dolls. Having two very different families of dolls was intriguing, though the possible differences and how the families related to each other seemed skirted over a little, it could have featured more.Martin creates a very relatable world from a doll's point of view, Selznick ably assisting with his illustrations. Annabelle is a very appealing Arrietty-like heroine, with touches of a Toy Story Woody in there too.This is one I only heard of recently, it was included on my son's '100 Book Bucket List', so I expect he'll be asking to try it soon too. Most enjoyable, and one for youngsters aged 7-11.

I've been reading a lot of children's book lately, and this was a delightful read and very imaginative for the inner child in all of us, and those who love dolls, but as another reviewer has already said; why restrict this to only children, and only little girls? I suspect this would appeal to any child who still has their imagination intact which has not been spoiled by the modern world and its computer gadgets. The fact the story is built around dolls and a dolls house may well appeal more to little girls, but I would have thought the night-time escapades of the little dolls would most certainly capture the interest of boys too!The quality of the book is quite delightful too with a raised sort of embossed surface to it - along with an attached quality dust-like cover that's part of the book itself even on the paperback.This reads perfectly as a stand alone book/story, but it is the first in a trilogy which I usually find cheapens books and stories, and that I never usually buy into, but I've found myself ordering the second instalment with just a little chastisement from my inner adult counterpart! :-)Utterly delightful!

Enjoyed it really easy to read

My granddaughter loved this book and so did my daughter. Pleased with the service.

I purchased this book for my 8 year old sister who is above her reading ability. This is a great book and she is loving reading it

We're half way through - I am reading it to a ten year old and seven year old - and we are enjoying it

This book is for all lovers of doll's houses and adventure. It tells the tale of two doll families, The dolls (a family of porcelain dolls consisting of Mama, Papa, Auntie Sarah, Uncle Doll, Nanny, Anabelle, Bobby and Baby betsy)and the Funcrafts (plastic doll family who consist of Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Bailey and Baby Britney)the two eldest daughters of both families (Anabelle and Tiffany) team up to try and find Anabelle's lost Auntie Sarah. To do this it'll take lots of planning, reading auntie sarah's secret journal and running back and forth from (their owners) Kate and Nora's bedrooms along the way the two families will be captured by Captain the cat and risk the dredded Doll State or even Permenant Doll State.I recommened this book to boys and girls (why restrict a book it's actually quite sexist and stupid to do so!) aged 7-15 and i hope all who read the book read the whole trilogy of the series about the dolls everyone wishes they have

Annabelle Doll is an eight-year-old, and has been since she was made some 100 years ago! Part of a family of eight (including Papa Doll, Mama Doll, Uncle Doll, Auntie Sarah, Nanny, Annabelle, little-brother Bobby and Baby Betsy), Annabelle lives her little-girl doll existence - being played with, avoiding The Captain (her owner's cat), and most of all avoiding being seen as alive. However, when she discovers the journal of Auntie Sarah, who has been missing since 1955, she decides to find out what happened to her.Things become better when her owner's little sister receives the Funcraft Doll House, complete with a brand new plastic family - neighbors. Annabelle, who must be cautious, to protect her china body, makes great friends with Tiffany Funcraft, who is wild and adventurous, with her unbreakable plastic body. Together the girls dare all (or a lot anyway), to find Auntie Sarah.This book has an absolutely fantastic story. The author succeeds in keeping the main characters in character as dolls, showing their unique existence. There is a great deal of gentle humor, with the illustrations providing just the right amount of action, not distracting from the story. My 9-year-old daughter loved the story, and had absolutely no problem reading it. I recommend this book to everyone with a daughter!