Review by Booklist Review
Any number of surprises might greet doll devotees on opening Goodfellow's latest book (after Understanding Dolls [1983] and Rare Character Dolls [1987]). The first surprise is that the author is also the toy and doll curator of the Victoria & Albert's Bethal Green Museum. The second one is that baby dolls originated in Europe, not in the U.S. And third, those oh-so-comforting Raggedy Ann dolls were initially a cartoon drawn by American artist Johnny Gruelle. The list goes on and on, but what come as expected (being a Dorling Kindersley imprint) are exquisite color photographs, a very explicit and diagrammatic text, and expert knowledge. In covering more than three centuries of doll making, the author divides and conquers by types, ranging from wooden to the unusual peddler, boudoir, and half dolls. At the end are tips on buying, as well as appendixes featuring addresses, further reading, and a glossary. --Barbara Jacobs
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.