A Gift From The Lonely Doll

A lonely doll named Edith finally finds friendship with two visiting teddy bears.

A glamorous, haunted life unfolds in the mesmerizing biography of the woman behind a classic children's book In 1957, a children's book called The Lonely Doll was published. With its pink-and-white-checked cover and photographs featuring a wide-eyed doll, it captured the imaginations of young girls and made the author, Dare Wright, a household name. Close to forty years after its publication, the book was out of print but not forgotten. When the cover image inexplicably came to journalist Jean Nathan one afternoon, she went in search of the book-and ultimately its author. Nathan found Dare Wright living out her last days in a decrepit public hospital in Queens, New York. Over the next five years, Nathan pieced together a glamorous life. Blond, beautiful Wright had begun her career as an actress and model and then turned to fashion photography before stumbling upon her role as bestselling author. But there was a dark side to the story: a brother lost in childhood, ill-fated marriage plans, a complicated, controlling mother. Edith Stevenson Wright, herself a successful portrait painter, played such a dominant role in her daughter's life that Dare was never able to find her way into the adult world. Only through her work could she speak for herself: in her books she created the happy family she'd always yearned for, while her self-portraits betrayed an unresolved tension between sexuality and innocence, a desire to belong and painful isolation. Illustrated with stunning photographs, The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll tells the unforgettable story of a woman who, imprisoned by her childhood, sought to set herself free through art.

Edith ("The Lonely Doll") struggles with the choice of a Christmas gift for Mr. Bear, finally realizing that something made by hand would be far better than something bought in a store. A knitted muffler seemed a perfect choice, especially since Edith, Mr. Bear and Little Bear are planning to spend the holidays with cousins Charles Bear and Albert Bear in the snowy hills of upstate New York. Edith knits whenever Mr. Bear isn't watching, hiding her project in a woven basket without realizing how much yarn she's been using. When the presents are opened on Christmas morning, Mr. Bear's gift is long enough for three bears Edith is miserable about it, until she finds the perfect solution. She cuts the muffler into gifts for both Mr. Bear and his two cousins, and the day ends very happily.

Mr. Bear thinks that he needs to take Edith ("The Lonely Doll") and Little Bear away from their beloved New York City to escape the dirty air and streets. But Edith and Little Bear don't want to move to the country, so they take up the cause of cleaning up the city. They carry signs protesting the city's dirty condition as they march in front of City Hall. Later, they find themselves on the evening television news, much to the shagrin of Mr. Bear. But even with their publicity, the protest does not seem to draw the attention of the city's Mayor. So Edith and Little Bear write a letter and send it directly to the Mayor. And the Mayor sends a letter back, urging Edith and Little Bear to do a little bit every day to clean up the city themselves, and to keep watch for any polluters. Edith and Little Bear follow the Mayor's advice, and they begin to clean up their neighborhood themselves. They even report a nearby building's very dirty plume of smoke rising from a chimney. Mr. Bear, seeing how much Edith and Little Bear care for their home and their streets, happily decides they can remain in their home in the city.

A poignant biography of Dare Wright, the beautiful and enigmatic photographer and author of The Lonely Doll children's book series, illustrated with over five hundred photographs. As Dare Wright's godchild, author Brook Ashley grew up in a magical world of dolls, bears and fairy tales helping create the scenes for Wright's children's books.

This rediscovered gem by Caldecott-winning illustrator Roger Duvoisin is perfect for a new generation of little girls who love dolls. In the city of Paris, a beautiful but lonely doll sits on a shelf in an antique shop. She’s surrounded by old vases and teapots, but longs for a friend to play with. There is one little girl who would dearly love to own the doll, but Marie could never afford such a precious item. So Marie has to settle for admiring the doll through the window on her way home from school. But Marie and this doll are clearly meant for one another, and Marie will make sure that the doll has a home where she is loved. First published in the 1950s but long out of print, this rediscovered gem by Roger Duvoisin and his wife, Louise Fatio, is available again, ready to be read to little girls—and dolls—of a new generation.