The Lonely Doll facts for kids
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| Author | Dare Wright |
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| Illustrator | Dare Wright |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Fiction |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
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Publication date
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1957 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 64 |
| ISBN | 9780395899267 |
| OCLC | 39890027 |
| Followed by | Holiday for Edith and the Bears |
The Lonely Doll is a classic children's book that tells its story using both words and photographs. It was the first book in a popular series created by the talented photographer and author, Dare Wright. The book was first published in 1957 by Doubleday. After being out of print for many years, it was reissued by Houghton Mifflin in 1998. In 2012, Barnes & Noble even released a special narrated version for their Nook eReader.
Dare Wright wrote a total of 10 books featuring Edith and her bear friends. Nine of these books have been reprinted, allowing new generations to enjoy their adventures. These include:
- The Lonely Doll
- Edith and Mr. Bear
- A Gift from the Lonely Doll
- Holiday for Edith and the Bears
- The Doll and the Kitten
- Edith and the Duckling
- Edith and Little Bear Lend a Hand
- Edith and Midnight
- The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson
The Story of The Lonely Doll
The Lonely Doll introduces us to Edith, a sweet doll who lives all by herself. Her life changes when two friendly teddy bears, named Mr. Bear and Little Bear, come to live with her.
One day, Mr. Bear goes out for a walk, leaving Edith and Little Bear alone at home. Like many kids, they decide to have some fun! They explore a closet, trying on dress-up clothes and even playing with makeup. They get a bit carried away and write "Mr. Bear is just a silly old thing" on the mirror with lipstick.
When Mr. Bear returns, he sees the mess and the message. He gently teaches Edith and Little Bear about responsibility. Edith worries that Mr. Bear might be upset enough to leave her and Little Bear. But Mr. Bear quickly reassures her, promising he will never, ever leave them. It's a heartwarming story about friendship, family, and learning from mistakes.
Meet the Characters
The main character in many of Dare Wright's books is Edith the doll. Interestingly, Edith looks a lot like Dare Wright herself, with a blonde ponytail and golden hoop earrings.
Edith was named after Dare Wright's own mother, Edith Stevenson Wright, who was a portrait artist.
The Real-Life Toys
The doll used to create Edith was a special felt Lenci Doll from the 1920s. This doll actually belonged to Dare Wright when she was a child. For the books, Dare Wright sewed all of Edith's tiny outfits. She even changed the doll's eye color to blue to match her own eyes.
Mr. Bear was a toy manufactured by a company called Schuco. Little Bear was a unique "Jackie Bear" from Steiff, a famous toy company. Both bears were bought in the 1950s with help from Dare Wright's brother, Blaine Wright.
Over the years, several companies have made toy versions of Edith and the bears for fans and collectors:
- In 1985, The Rothschild Doll Company got permission directly from Dare Wright to make reproductions of Edith. They created both hard plastic and felt versions. Their 22-inch felt Edith doll looked like the original Lenci doll, with human hair, a painted face, a pink checked dress, and black suede shoes. They even made a special set with the felt Edith doll, a Mohair Mr. Bear, and a 12-inch Mohair Little Bear.
- In 2005, the Alexander Doll Company, which had made the first Edith doll in 1958, produced a new felt Edith doll. It was sold only by The Toy Shoppe.
- To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Lonely Doll in 2007, R. John Wright created a special limited edition felt Edith doll for collectors.
