Tasha Tudor is the illustrator of over a hundred children’s books, and the author of many. The Doll’s Christmas is one of my favorites. It was originally published in 1950, but was reissued in 1999. In the introduction, Tudor explains how the tradition of having the household dolls celebrate Christmas grew from the time she was a young mother needing something to keep the children busy. Tudor says her children learned “the very essence of giving as they made gifts for the dolls to give each other”.
In the story, two special dolls invite other dolls to celebrate Christmas and to attend a marionette show. The girls in the story bundle up their dolls and take them outside to get them a Christmas tree. They come back for tea “to warm themselves” and decorate the tree. The dolls and girls are kept busy. There are cookies to be cut with thimbles and small pies to be rolled. On Christmas morning the dolls find stocking filled tiny with presents and doll sized candy canes.
The girls wash and dress their dolls in their best clothes for Christmas dinner. At the table are tiny place cards. The boys of the family play butler and serve dinner – complete with soup and ice cream and “champagne” which is really ginger-ale. After dinner, the dolls open presents and get ready for their guests. Even more dolls and toys are invited to the puppet show.
It’s a magic story. I can’t imagine any child, but particularly little girls, not being charmed by this story. I think most children will probably want to recreate some of the story for their own special animals and doll friends.
Tudor’s illustrations are soft, full of old-fashioned charm, and seem full of the magic of childhood and Christmas. Tudor says “Magic isn’t meant to be limited to childhood. If properly nourished, it will last a lifetime.”
Also See:
Dumpy Saves Christmas – Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Barbara Robinson
Noel for Jeanne-Marie – Francoise