Sophie and Rose - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744569613 ISBN 13: 9780744569612

Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks

Synopsis

In the attic, Sophie discovers her mum's old doll. It is all tatty but she loves her all the same and calls her Rose. This is the story of the special relationship between a girl and her doll.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Sophie is overjoyed to discover Rose, a doll who has been in the family for two generations and is "so old-fashioned that she seemed like a visitor from another time." Sophie soon learns that Rose is fragile: when Sophie combs the doll's hair, a chunk falls out; a fall from a precarious perch chips Rose's nose; and when Sophie leaves her in the garden overnight, she loses an eye. Poor Rose is quite a sight by the book's end, but the doll's vulnerability endears her to Sophie all the more, and the two become inseparable: "[Sophie] knows she will always love her Rose, who listens with her seashell ears... and who was so brave through the long garden night." Moving but never sentimental, Lasky's (Marven of the Great North Woods) text proves the poetic power of simple, straightforward language, while Halperin's (Once Upon a Company) watercolors possess an old-fashioned quality with a muted palette and classic fabric and wallpaper patterns. The artist frequently breaks up the action into a series of freeze-frames that expand the action beyond the text (showing, for example, how Sophie inadvertently leaves Rose behind in the garden). An uplifting affirmation that beloved toys and imaginative play stand the test of time. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Sophie finds an old doll that once belonged to her mother and grandmother and names her Rose. The doll's hair is thinning and her dress is threadbare, but the girl loves her and takes her everywhere. Later, Rose falls from a shelf and chips her nose and some of her stuffing falls out. On a camping trip she's stained with chocolate and loses an eye when left out overnight. Through it all, Sophie loves her more and more. Lasky's writing is solid but there's not much of a story here. The saving grace is Halperin's watercolor-and-pencil artwork; done in soft colors with lots of flowers and patterns, the paintings have an antique look that creates a soft, warm atmosphere. The text appears in half-moons at the bottom of the pages. The full-page illustrations alternate with small vignettes that show Sophie playing with her doll, reading to her, and taking her on bike rides. Lacking a story line, the book is more a reflection of a loving relationship heightened by artwork that visually reinforces the pair's closeness. It might appeal to young girls who have a favorite doll and those older girls who remember a special friend.
Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks
• ISBN 10: 0744569613
• ISBN 13: 9780744569612
• Binding: Paperback