Meet Bear-Bear-Bear.
This sweet mint-tinted stuffy was given to one of my girls during a hospital stay. For the life of me, I cannot recall which girl or why we were at the hospital…
But alas. What’s most important is that Bear-Bear-Bear is my 6 year old’s husband.
In fact, they just returned from a weeklong getaway in New York. I’m trying not to be jealous, but NEW YORK? What I wouldn’t give to see a show and dine my way across the city with my hubby, Dan. We’re approaching our 15th anniversary, after all. Nevertheless, I’m happy for them.
As Miss L’s betrothed, Bear-Bear-Bear is an official member of our family and always with us. Unless, of course, he’s been left outside on accident, which brings about quite a lot of sadness, particularly at bedtime. When it’s very cold and very dark, we trust that the raccoons and skunks will be kind to him until the sun climbs into the sky once again.
The relationship between a child and his or her doll is sacred and absolute. It’s something that grown ups respect and honor because at the center of each human heart was once such a toy.
Indispensable. Irreplaceable. Inextricably yours.
New picture book KAFKA AND THE DOLL - by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Rebecca Green (Viking Books for Young Readers, March 2021) - delves into and lyrically lives within that imaginative, intimate, technicolor space. This is the divine cover that captivated me for months before the book’s publication, and called me to get to know this story through-and-through…
KAFKA AND THE DOLL is based upon the true story of a unique friendship that developed between writer Franz Kafka and a young girl. As the tale goes, while at the park one day, Kafka and his partner Dora Diamant met a girl, who had lost her doll. Kafka’s generous heart compelled him to create a narrative that continued the doll’s journey, to the anticipation and ongoing delight of the girl.
This warm, surprising, moving story captured my heart, and holds it still. So as you can imagine, it’s a joy for me to tell you about it! Here are three things that I love about KAFKA AND THE DOLL…
Gorgeous Lines and Limited Palette
The sincerity and unique tone of KAFKA AND THE DOLL is first experienced in the glorious palette and certain marks of illustrator Rebecca Green. The story is set in a sepia past, where autumnal hues punctuates the page in falling leaves and pretty patterns. The natural setting, minimally rendered, bends and sways in sync with the story’s brilliant characters, whose postures, expressions and clothing are set in angular, fashionable lines, creating a compelling, sartorial cast. The entire look is novel and in complete accord with the spirit of the story, which is - as I’ll soon elaborate - positively enchanting.
Heart-driven Narrative
Noticing a girl in distress, Kafka and Diamant approach and learn that the child, Irma, has lost her doll. Her doll Soupsy. (Let us linger on the perfection of the name for just a moment longer… ) To ease Irma’s worries, Kafka swiftly whips up a story: Irma needn’t fret because Soupsy is simply traveling, and Kafka - “a volunteer postman” - will deliver Soupsy’s hand-written letter to Irma the very next day.
From the backmatter of this story, we learn the Kafka was not in good health at the time that he assumed the role of "postman.” Yet, day-after-day, for weeks, he arrived at the park with a new letter from Soupsy, filling the moments of separation between Irma and and her doll with adventure and new experiences. Only a person with an unwavering belief in the power of story would dutifully undertake such a noble and worthy assignment.
Tender and Imaginative Prose
While this story is based upon true events, the letters written by Soupsy, and the dialogue between Kafka and Irma, are Theule’s delightful creation. Kafka’s wise, observational generalities and open-ended queries create an ocean of possibility in which Irma can interpret the details of Soupsy’s journey and imagine what might happen next.
In chronicling Soupsy’s travels - to Paris and Barcelona, and Morocco and Egypt - Kafka introduces Irma to the world outside Berlin, filled with wondrous landscapes and marvels of cuisine and architecture. As Soupsy’s letters grow shorter, a sign of Kafka’s failing health, it’s clear that Kafka has given Irma a gift that extends beyond Soupsy’s enduring existence.
“You’re pale,” Irma says to Kafka. “You miss nothing,” Kafka replies. Such is the heartbeat of KAFKA AND THE DOLL. Children see it all, and know what is real. The light in their doll’s eyes. The magic that’s just beyond what they can touch. The hope of the next grand adventure. Bigger than big. Truer than true. KAFKA AND THE DOLL captures this intuitive spark and invites us to keep the light burning, for the children in our lives and for the child inside our very heart.
Larissa Theule is the author of many books for children, including A Way With Wild Things, illustrated by Sara Palacios (Bloomsbury), Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley (Abrams), How Do You Do?, illustrated by Gianna Marino (Bloomsbury), and Fat and Bones: And Other Stories, illustrated by Adam S. Doyle (Carolrhoda). She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Southern California with her family and dog.
Rebecca Green is an illustrator, painter, and author working in children’s publishing, editorial, and fine art. Her books include A Place Called Home by Kate Baker (Lonely Planet Kids), Becoming A Good Creature by Sy Montgomery (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Madame Saqui, Revolutionary Rope Dancer by Lisa Robinson (Schwartz & Wade Books), and A Year with Mama Earth by Rebecca Grabill (Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers). She loves experimenting with traditional materials and use an array of media including gouache, colored pencil, ink, and cut paper.
One lucky reader will win KAFKA AND THE DOLL, signed by Larissa Theule!
*** Win KAFKA AND THE DOLL ***
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