Floating Island (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Anne Parrish |
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| Illustrator | Anne Parrish |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Published | 1930 |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 265 |
| OCLC | 1654627 |
Floating Island is a fun children's book from 1930. It was written and drawn by Anne Parrish. The story is about a family of China dolls who get shipwrecked and have an amazing adventure on a mysterious "Floating Island."
The Amazing Adventure
Imagine a happy China-Doll family living in a cozy dollhouse inside a toy shop. They loved reading books and dancing "The Waltz of the Dolls" while Mrs. Doll played the piano.
One day, a girl named Elizabeth got a special gift from her Uncle Henry. He bought the dollhouse and the dolls for her! The dolls were carefully wrapped and sent to the warm tropics where Elizabeth lived.
But on their journey, something unexpected happened. The ship carrying the dolls was wrecked! The dolls and their dollhouse drifted away. They finally landed on a tropical island that no one lived on.
Slowly, the dolls began to get used to their new island home. They made friends with the animals there. They explored the whole island, full of curiosity about their new surroundings.
At the end of their adventure, Mrs. Doll suggested it was time to leave the Floating Island. The other dolls didn't want to go at first. But Mrs. Doll reminded them, "Dolls need children, and children need dolls." So, they decided to try and leave.
They built a signal fire to get attention. A sailor named Joe on a ship called Shooting Star saw the smoke. He found the dollhouse, the dolls, and even a funny monkey wearing little green trousers!
The book doesn't tell us exactly what happened to the dolls next. But it ends by asking readers if they have the dolls. It asks, "If you think they are, will you tell me?"
Meet the Characters
Mr. Doll He is the father doll. He has shiny black china hair.
Mrs. Doll She is the mother doll. She has soft, fuzzy yellow hair.
William Doll This is the boy doll. He has brown china hair.
Annabel Doll She is the girl doll. She has long yellow hair and wears a white dress.
Baby Doll This is the youngest doll in the family.
Dinah the Cook She is the Doll family's housemaid. She has black china skin and full lips. Unlike the other dolls, Dinah chooses to stay on the Floating Island. She feels "as if this (island) was home."
Finny, Lobby, Chicky and Pudding These are plaster friends of the Doll family.
Sailor Joe He is the sailor who discovered the dollhouse and dolls on the Floating Island. No one else on his ship believed his amazing story!
Awards and Recognition
- The book Floating Island was recognized in 1931. It received a Newbery Honor. This award is given to books that are considered very good children's literature.
