Books using (sometimes creepy) dolls

These books use dolls, bears, railroad model figures, and other inanimate objects to tell a story. The first book (published in 1957) has been criticized in recent years, but the latter is relatively recent.


The Lonely Doll, Dare Wright

Older classroom libraries may still have copies of this book, which features a doll and other critters spending time together. The black-and-white photos have in recent years been interpreted as signs of abuse, and a new biography alludes to the author's troubled childhood. Students fearful of clowns might want to steer clear of this.


Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears and Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes, Valorie Fisher

This alliterative adventure takes model figures, animals, and scenery, and fractures them into absurd situations. My favorite two are a duck driving a pink dump truck filled with dice, and Walter, who wallpapers his whole house, including his wheelbarrow. There are also hidden items on each page that begin with the page's featured letter, and there's a helpful index in the back that lists all the S items one can find on the S page, etc.

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