The Gingerbread Doll

"This is a warm and engaging Christmas story set during the Great Depression. Rebecca is nine years old when her large, close-knit family moves into a tarpaper farm house in Wisconsin. Because times are hard, she does not find the porcelain doll she had hoped for under the Christmas tree. Instead, her mother surprises her with a thick gingerbread doll named Button Marie, which she loves "in a way you could never love anything from a store." . . . These paintings (which are reminiscent of the work of Andrew Wyeth) convey a strong sense of the affection that pervades the family over the generations. The emphasis on such familiar things as family storytelling and rituals makes this a slice of Americana that the picture book crowd can savor."—ALA Booklist"Lloyd"s sharply observed realistic watercolors—in a palette somewhat grayed as if to recall old b&w photos—beautifully reflect this well-told story"s warmth and focus on essential values."—Kirkus Reviews