The Lonely Doll
Encyclopedia
The Lonely Doll™ is the first children's book in a series by photographer and author Dare Wright
. The story is told through text and photographs. It was first published in 1957, went out of print for years, and was reissued by Houghton Mifflin
in 1998. Wright wrote 10 books starring Edith and the bears. Only three, The Lonely Doll, Edith and Mr. Bear and A Gift from the Lonely Doll have been reprinted
Edith was named after Dare's mother, Edith Stevenson Wright, a portrait artist.
Mr. Bear was manufactured by Schuco, and Little Bear was a special edition Steiff "Jackie Bear." Both were purchased in the 1950s with the help of Dare's brother, Blaine Wright.
A new felt finished rendition of the Edith doll was manufactured in 2005 by the Alexander Doll Company, who made the first Edith doll in 1958. It was sold exclusively by The Toy Shoppe.
In 2007, R. John Wright produced a limited edition felt Edith doll for collectors to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "The Lonely Doll." This was the first Edith doll to be made in her actual 22" height.
In November 2010, The British Newspaper The Guardian
named The Lonely Doll one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of all time.
Dare Wright
Dare Wright was a Canadian American children's author, model and photographer.-Biography:Born in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, Wright spent most of her childhood in Cleveland, Ohio...
. The story is told through text and photographs. It was first published in 1957, went out of print for years, and was reissued by Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
in 1998. Wright wrote 10 books starring Edith and the bears. Only three, The Lonely Doll, Edith and Mr. Bear and A Gift from the Lonely Doll have been reprinted
Plot summary
The Lonely Doll tells the story of a doll named Edith, who lives by herself until two teddy bears, called Mr. Bear and Little Bear, appear in her life. One day, Mr. Bear goes out for a walk leaving the two alone in the house; He returns to find they have rummaged in a closet for dress-up clothing, smeared themselves with makeup, and written "Mr. Bear is just a silly old thing" in lipstick on the mirror. Mr Bear proceeds to discipline both Little Bear and Edith, leaving Edith to worry that he will take Little Bear and leave. Mr. Bear assures her that he will never, ever, leave her.Characters
Edith, the main character of many of her books, looks a great deal like Dare Wright herself, with a blonde pony tail and golden hoop earrings.Edith was named after Dare's mother, Edith Stevenson Wright, a portrait artist.
Toys
The doll is a felt Lenci Doll from the 1920s which belonged to Dare as a child. She sewed Edith's outfits for the books and changed her eye color to blue, resembling the author's looks.Mr. Bear was manufactured by Schuco, and Little Bear was a special edition Steiff "Jackie Bear." Both were purchased in the 1950s with the help of Dare's brother, Blaine Wright.
A new felt finished rendition of the Edith doll was manufactured in 2005 by the Alexander Doll Company, who made the first Edith doll in 1958. It was sold exclusively by The Toy Shoppe.
In 2007, R. John Wright produced a limited edition felt Edith doll for collectors to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "The Lonely Doll." This was the first Edith doll to be made in her actual 22" height.
Critical acclaim
The book was first published in 1957, and made the New York Times children's books best seller list.In November 2010, The British Newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
named The Lonely Doll one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of all time.