Dahlia

Written by Barbara McClintock

Narrated by Kate Forbes

Charlotte is not very excited about the doll her aunt Edme sends her. It has a prim painted mouth and is dressed in lace and silk. Besides, Charlotte has never really wanted a doll. "We like climbing trees," Charlotte tells the doll. Much to Charlotte's surprise, the new doll doesn't seem to mind her rough way of playing. By the time they are finished, Charlotte's new doll is muddy and torn, but her prim mouth has softened into a warm smile. But what will Aunt Edme think when she comes to visit?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470356330

Barbara McClintock

Barbara McClintock has written and illustrated many acclaimed books for young readers, including Adèle & Simon, an ALA Notable Book, a Children's Book Sense Pick, and a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and Dahlia, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book. She lives in Windham, Connecticut.

Reviews for Dahlia

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte was not the kind of girl who played with dolls. No, she enjoyed making mud cakes with her stuffed teddy-bear, Bruno, climbing trees, and beating the neighborhood boys at wagon-racing. So when her Aunt Edme sends her a delicate doll, with a prim mouth and fancy clothing, Charlotte is less than thrilled. "You'll just have to get used to the way we do things," she informs the newcomer, which means no tea parties, and no being pushed in frilly prams. Luckily, Dahlia - as she is soon christened - for all that she may look prissy, has an adventurous spirit, and takes to Charlotte and Bruno's outdoor activities like a duck to water. A little wear and tear never hurt a doll, if she is loved by her little girl - which Dahlia soon is - but will Aunt Edme see it that way...?This picture-book is an absolute delight - I understand now why so many of my friends have raved about it! With charming illustrations that perfectly capture the Victorian setting - the ivy-covered house, Charlotte's girlish pinafore - as well as the excitement and fun of the action, and a narrative that features a non-girly-girl who finds she does like some dolls after all, what's not to love? I was reminded of my own girlhood, when I was equally happy racing around the neighborhood and hanging upside-down from trees, and playing with my dolls. It's good to see a story that highlights the fact that girls don't have to choose one or the other!

[conuly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Charlotte got a fancy, frilly doll as a present, I don't think dismayed is the right word. It's clear from her room (filled with bird nests and dragonflies) that she's not a doll kind of girl. Still, she makes the best of it, she and her bear... and they realize, eventually, that there's no reason you can't play with a fancy doll in the same way you'd play with any other toy.The revelation at the end that the doll was bought specifically so she could be played with in mud puddles and tossed out of trees is about as true-to-life as it gets. What else is a doll FOR, anyway?