Oh boy. This book makes me want to cry. It’s good – but it’s a proper lump in the throat kind of book. H loves it – she doesn’t quite get it yet, so it’s currently a magical book where she’ll try to spot the butterfly hairslide on each page, and where a little boy ‘isn’t very nice’.
The book starts with a child who makes paper dolls with her mother. The paper dolls have adventures with the child and a happy time – but then something bad happens. But, as with all good memories, they don’t go away, even if they don’t exist in a physical form any more, and are passed on through the years.
That’s the bit that gets me. Every time. As a parent who will one day have to explain about my dad dying before H was born, I think this is a good book to explain if something isn’t there any more the good memories are – which is why this gets me every time. On a simpler level, a child losing a loved toy would also get it at this level.
We borrowed this book from the library, and I suspect we’ll be owning our own copy very soon. I had no idea a book, especially one for children, could make me well up like this. Highly recommended!
The Paper Dolls is written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, published by MacMillan Books, ISBN 0-230-74108-9
Oh wow! Sounds like a beautiful book! X
Wow can’t wait to pick it up, thanks Jo x
It’s a real weepy one, but I think puts loss in a really positive light in a way they’ll understand xx
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