THE BEST-LOVED DOLL

How does one choose one’s favorite toy? Or, in this case, one’s favorite doll? Betsy keeps returning to Jennifer--her best-loved doll, who always has a smile on her face--when trying to make her decision. Ruth Ann Phimister gives each doll her own special voice--Melissa, the oldest, whose voice is slow and deep; Belinda, the best-dressed, who has a touch of arrogance; Mary Jane, who has a stilted voice and who sews at her own machine; and Jennifer, whose gentle, wistful voice lets the reader know just whom Betsy ultimately chooses. An old-fashioned story will charm young children, whose dolls still have lives of their own. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]