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Doll People #4
The Doll People Set Sail
Annabelle Doll, Tiffany Funcraft, and their families are whisked out to sea when the Palmers accidentally place them in a box destined for charity donation. And it turns out they're not alone-there are plenty of other doll people on the ship, too. After traveling thousands of miles, will they be able to find their way home?
In the fourth installment in the beloved Doll People series, Brett Helquist joins Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin on another exhilarating adventure from a doll's-eye view.
In the fourth installment in the beloved Doll People series, Brett Helquist joins Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin on another exhilarating adventure from a doll's-eye view.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
27 people are currently reading
1641 people want to read
About the author
Laura Godwin
51 books29 followersLaura Godwin grew up in Alberta, Canada. She has written many well-loved books for children, including Barnyard Prayers, Little White Dog, Happy & Honey, and co-authored The Doll People, The Meanest Doll in the World, and The Runaway Dolls. She lives in New York City.
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April 16, 2015Alas, I abandoned this ship. I have been a huge Doll People fan but this installment just felt too "been there, done that" looking for lost dolls. Only this time, it's on a ship. And even then I read almost half of this and they barely got out of their shipping box. I did like the Merdolls. It's not a bad book, maybe if I was seven or eight I would have still been spellbound. As is, too many other books demand my attention.
December 14, 2015
I feel as if the series should have ended after The Runaway Dolls, but I'm so greedy for these characters that I would still read them. The Doll People Set Sail was so lackluster and did not possess the magic of the previous installments.
The most damning blow was Brian Selznick leaving his position as illustrator for the series. He is a phenomenal artist who provided stunning artwork and wonder to the pages. I believe he only works independently now, but his books are amazing too. The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck were so lovely to read. Brett Helquist provides the new artwork for the series. He is most well know for illustrating A Series of Unfortunate Events. His art style is too rigid and lacks warmth, for my taste.
The story was boring and easily avoidable. The Doll People are supposed to go in the attic while the Palmer house is undergoing renovations. Stupidly, they are also boxing old stuff for charity. They have a box for "attic" and one for "ATC". Really? Just label it "charity". Haven't you seen Toy Story 3?
I was fed up by the dumb decisions and I actually liked the other dolls more than the Doll family. The side characters were Giselle and Tarkie who were two dolls stuffed into a dollhouse and only had their eyes peeking out, a little German doll in leiderhosen named Otto, superhero doll named Johnny-on-the-spot with a polka dot cape, and a family of mermaid dolls. My favorite doll they met was a baby doll named Sassafras whose voice box was broken and could only say nautical phrases very loudly.
I did not enjoy this installment and felt that their problems were solved way too easily and could have even been solved sooner too. The side characters made up for the lack of action and good decision making. I will still probably read more books in the series if they are published. This set of books are so unique and I love to read them.
The most damning blow was Brian Selznick leaving his position as illustrator for the series. He is a phenomenal artist who provided stunning artwork and wonder to the pages. I believe he only works independently now, but his books are amazing too. The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck were so lovely to read. Brett Helquist provides the new artwork for the series. He is most well know for illustrating A Series of Unfortunate Events. His art style is too rigid and lacks warmth, for my taste.
The story was boring and easily avoidable. The Doll People are supposed to go in the attic while the Palmer house is undergoing renovations. Stupidly, they are also boxing old stuff for charity. They have a box for "attic" and one for "ATC". Really? Just label it "charity". Haven't you seen Toy Story 3?
I was fed up by the dumb decisions and I actually liked the other dolls more than the Doll family. The side characters were Giselle and Tarkie who were two dolls stuffed into a dollhouse and only had their eyes peeking out, a little German doll in leiderhosen named Otto, superhero doll named Johnny-on-the-spot with a polka dot cape, and a family of mermaid dolls. My favorite doll they met was a baby doll named Sassafras whose voice box was broken and could only say nautical phrases very loudly.
I did not enjoy this installment and felt that their problems were solved way too easily and could have even been solved sooner too. The side characters made up for the lack of action and good decision making. I will still probably read more books in the series if they are published. This set of books are so unique and I love to read them.
September 14, 2017
I think this fourth installment to have nothing less than the other Doll People books, apart from some humanization of the dolls that I honestly can't recall from the previous books, and, really, the merdolls made this story! I just love them! ;D
My collection:
My collection:
August 26, 2015
I would have given it 2 1/2 stars if available. It wasn't bad, just a sleepy slow-mover. Also poor Brett helquist, though super talented(I adore his roger the jolly pirate), was forced to follow in the footsteps of the unparalleled Brian Selznick. That's a tough job. :-)
February 1, 2023
Sooo gooood!!!!! Love it love these books!!
May 10, 2020
Toy Story 3 vibes. In both stories, the toys are both destined for the attic, but mistakenly get put up for donation.
In this story, Annabelle and her best friend Tiffany's families are accidentally given to the ATC. They were put in a box to be taken to the attic while their owners, Kate and Nora's rooms are getting renovated. They have a wild adventure and meet new friends along the way. They help some of these friends make their dreams come true. Throughout the story, they face obstacles such as losing members of their families, and risking their own Doll Status trying to find them.
I really liked the book, but it felt like I was reading something that I had already read before; it didn't feel unique to me. The illustrations were beautiful and the characters were very well developed. I also really like that I didn't have to read any of the other books in the series to understand what was going on (just because I don't have the first or third books).
In this story, Annabelle and her best friend Tiffany's families are accidentally given to the ATC. They were put in a box to be taken to the attic while their owners, Kate and Nora's rooms are getting renovated. They have a wild adventure and meet new friends along the way. They help some of these friends make their dreams come true. Throughout the story, they face obstacles such as losing members of their families, and risking their own Doll Status trying to find them.
I really liked the book, but it felt like I was reading something that I had already read before; it didn't feel unique to me. The illustrations were beautiful and the characters were very well developed. I also really like that I didn't have to read any of the other books in the series to understand what was going on (just because I don't have the first or third books).
October 28, 2025
This series is starting to get stale, but this episode was a slight improvement over the last one, in my opinion.
The Good: Martin has a way of inserting lessons into the story that her readers will hopefully take to heart, e.g. teamwork, trusting the adults in one's life, overcoming fears, embracing your strengths, etc. The setting of the ship breathed some new excitement into the series.
The Bad: Like book #3, too many new, unnecessary characters. Giselle, Tarquinius, and Otto added nothing. And kids enjoy mermaids, but did we need seven of them? No. The answer is no. Johnny was the only new character who contributed to the action, and that was minimal.
The Good: Martin has a way of inserting lessons into the story that her readers will hopefully take to heart, e.g. teamwork, trusting the adults in one's life, overcoming fears, embracing your strengths, etc. The setting of the ship breathed some new excitement into the series.
The Bad: Like book #3, too many new, unnecessary characters. Giselle, Tarquinius, and Otto added nothing. And kids enjoy mermaids, but did we need seven of them? No. The answer is no. Johnny was the only new character who contributed to the action, and that was minimal.
September 23, 2018
I like the first Doll People book the best, followed by Runaway Dolls (book #3). I didn't care as much for the Meanest Doll (book #2) or this one (book #4)....but my girls, ages 10 and 7, liked them all.
April 7, 2021
This book is awsome! Super adventury!
June 10, 2024
I rarely read children's books but this series is excellent. I look forward to another story!
June 5, 2024
This is just such a cute series of books. It’s hard to rate since they’re for very young readers, but they were really fun for me to read with my 5 year old.
November 2, 2014
This is one of my kiddy lit addictions, and I think it is largely because I was such a fan of Jim Henson's old special "The Christmas Toy." There is just something so fun about the idea that our toys come to life and have their own little adventures. This is the fourth book in a series starring a family of five Victorian Era, china dolls (owned by Kate) and their friends, a family of modern plastic dolls owned by Kate's little sister. This is the fourth book in the series.
This time, the girls are having to pack up their rooms because they are having them remodeled. The dolls and their homes are set to be put up in the attic with the rest of their things. Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are definitely not looking forward to being trapped upstairs, particularly because the two friends have not been allowed to see each other since they were grounded for their previous adventure (last book), which had them exploring the Outside.
Well, things turn out to be less boring than they thought when the girls have to not only pack up things in their room, but they are being encouraged to pack up toys they no longer want. Those toys will be sent to an organization that sends toys to poor kids all over the world. As you have probably guessed, the boxes get confused and our doll families end up being shipped out.
They quickly find themselves on board a ship heading to England. Three of our doll friends end up falling out of their box while it is being loaded on board the ship, and the others need to try and find them before any of them are discovered by the humans. Along the way, they meet some new doll friends, including a family of mer-people, some foreign dolls, and even a superhero.
This book has all the things that make the earlier books fun. The new setting keeps things fresh. I really think this would be a fun readaloud to do with your kids just before bed, though I think that any 3rd grader could handle it on their own. I am curious as to whether there will be any more books in the series, but I will definitely be giving them a try if there are.
This time, the girls are having to pack up their rooms because they are having them remodeled. The dolls and their homes are set to be put up in the attic with the rest of their things. Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft are definitely not looking forward to being trapped upstairs, particularly because the two friends have not been allowed to see each other since they were grounded for their previous adventure (last book), which had them exploring the Outside.
Well, things turn out to be less boring than they thought when the girls have to not only pack up things in their room, but they are being encouraged to pack up toys they no longer want. Those toys will be sent to an organization that sends toys to poor kids all over the world. As you have probably guessed, the boxes get confused and our doll families end up being shipped out.
They quickly find themselves on board a ship heading to England. Three of our doll friends end up falling out of their box while it is being loaded on board the ship, and the others need to try and find them before any of them are discovered by the humans. Along the way, they meet some new doll friends, including a family of mer-people, some foreign dolls, and even a superhero.
This book has all the things that make the earlier books fun. The new setting keeps things fresh. I really think this would be a fun readaloud to do with your kids just before bed, though I think that any 3rd grader could handle it on their own. I am curious as to whether there will be any more books in the series, but I will definitely be giving them a try if there are.
May 21, 2019
This is a review of the entire Doll People series, including The Doll People, The Meanest Doll in the World, The Runaway Dolls, The Doll People Set Sail, and The Doll People's Christmas.
When my mom came to visit just before Easter, she brought us paperback copies of all of the Doll People books. I have always wanted to read them, so I decided to just preview them all at once so that I will be ready to hand them to my oldest daughter whenever I think she is ready.
The main character of the series is Annabelle Doll. She and her family belong to Kate Palmer, an eight-year-old girl who is the most recent owner of a dollhouse that has been passed down through several generations. The other members of the Doll family include Annabelle's mother and father, her brother Bobby, Nanny, baby Betsy, Uncle Doll, and, though she has been missing for 45 years, Auntie Sarah. The adults have always been very protective of Annabelle, owing in part to their fear of breaking the oath all dolls take if they want to remain living. Part of the oath is to avoid behavior that threatens dollkind, such as being seen moving around by humans, and the penalty for putting other dolls in danger in this way can be as mild as "Doll State," a 24-hour coma-like state in which the doll is only a doll and not a living being, and as severe as "Permanent Doll State," when the doll becomes inanimate forever. When Annabelle finds Auntie Sarah's diary, however, she begins gathering clues as to where her aunt may have gone. Despite the dangers, Annabelle convinces her family that she must venture out into the Palmers' house to find her aunt and bring her back home.
On the night she leaves her dollhouse for the first time, Annabelle comes upon a box containing a present for Kate's younger sister Nora to receive on her upcoming fifth birthday. The package contains a Funcraft dollhouse and a family of brand-new, durable, plastic dolls: Mom, Dad, Bailey, Baby Britney, and Tiffany, with whom Annabelle becomes fast friends. With Tiffany by her side, and buoyed by the Funcrafts' less cautious outlook on life, Annabelle is certain she can find her long-lost aunt and bring their family back together again. This quest comprises the plot for book one, The Doll People (2000).
The Doll People is really well-done. The story is similar to tales like Hitty: Her First Hundred Years and The Borrowers, but the authors also add new twists to the concept to make it their own. I love all the descriptions of the ridiculous games Nora plays with all the dolls, including the fragile ones that belong to her sister, as well as the fun little details, such as the fact that Baby Betsy was sent to the original owner of the dollhouse by mistake, and that she is actually a much larger doll from a different set. Martin and Godwin understand what appeals to the imaginations of little girls who love dolls, and they tell a great story using those elements.
Brian Selzick's illustrations, which I don't always like, are perfect for a book like this. His cinematic changes in perspective, and the immersive quality of his pictures really place the reader in the doll world and keep her there for the duration of the story. He does an especially great job capturing the differences in appearance and personality between the Dolls and the Funcrafts.
Book two, The Meanest Doll in the World (2003), sends Annabelle and Tiffany to school in Kate's backpack. When they climb out to explore the school and inadvertently go home in the wrong backpack at the end of the day, they find themselves in a house full of dolls who live in fear of Princess Mimi, a bully who constantly puts them all in danger by intentionally doing things that can't be undone before the humans discover them. Before they return to the Palmers', Annabelle and Tiffany want to save their new friends from Mean Mimi once and for all.
In book three, The Runaway Dolls (2008), the Palmers are getting ready to go on vacation when a mysterious package arrives. Annabelle discovers that it contains a baby named Tilly May - the baby doll that was originally supposed to come with the Dolls has finally been delivered after all these years! Annabelle is overjoyed to have another sister, but also very nervous. What if the Palmers don't realize what's in the package and return it unopened? Unwilling to take that chance, she and Tiffany carefully open the package, release Tilly May, and take off into the great outdoors. Unfortunately, they don't have much of a plan, and before they know it, all three girls, along with their brothers, are placed for sale in a department store from which no doll has ever escaped!
The conclusion of the series, The Doll People Set Sail (2014), is illustrated by Brett Helquist, and sadly, though he tries to uphold the style established by Selznick, the charm just isn't there. The story, which is about the Dolls and Funcrafts accidentally being donated to charity and shipped overseas, is not as strong as the others to begin with, and the loss of Selznick as the illustrator just contributes to the feeling that maybe this series went on just one book too long. I will have no objection to my kids reading it (I gave it three stars), but it kind of a let-down to end the series on a low note.
There is also a picture book companion to the series, The Doll People's Christmas (2016), also illustrated by Helquist. The illustrations are in color, which makes them work a little bit better than Helquist's black and white ones, but the story is bland compared to the plots of the novels. I'll probably bring it out as a novelty at Christmastime sometime after we have read the rest of the series.
My oldest daughter who loves dolls and adventure stories is definitely going to love these books. She will not understand some references (the dolls sing "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, which she has never heard, and a couple of the books mention Barbies, which she has played with but has never heard called by their brand name) but the themes of friendship and family will appeal to her, and since there are always consequences for bad behavior, I feel like the series will uphold the values we are currently trying to teach her. I haven't decided yet whether to read the first one aloud to my two older girls or to just hand it over to the oldest for independent reading, but we will definitely be getting to these soon! They are great additions to our shelves, and I'm happy to have them.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
When my mom came to visit just before Easter, she brought us paperback copies of all of the Doll People books. I have always wanted to read them, so I decided to just preview them all at once so that I will be ready to hand them to my oldest daughter whenever I think she is ready.
The main character of the series is Annabelle Doll. She and her family belong to Kate Palmer, an eight-year-old girl who is the most recent owner of a dollhouse that has been passed down through several generations. The other members of the Doll family include Annabelle's mother and father, her brother Bobby, Nanny, baby Betsy, Uncle Doll, and, though she has been missing for 45 years, Auntie Sarah. The adults have always been very protective of Annabelle, owing in part to their fear of breaking the oath all dolls take if they want to remain living. Part of the oath is to avoid behavior that threatens dollkind, such as being seen moving around by humans, and the penalty for putting other dolls in danger in this way can be as mild as "Doll State," a 24-hour coma-like state in which the doll is only a doll and not a living being, and as severe as "Permanent Doll State," when the doll becomes inanimate forever. When Annabelle finds Auntie Sarah's diary, however, she begins gathering clues as to where her aunt may have gone. Despite the dangers, Annabelle convinces her family that she must venture out into the Palmers' house to find her aunt and bring her back home.
On the night she leaves her dollhouse for the first time, Annabelle comes upon a box containing a present for Kate's younger sister Nora to receive on her upcoming fifth birthday. The package contains a Funcraft dollhouse and a family of brand-new, durable, plastic dolls: Mom, Dad, Bailey, Baby Britney, and Tiffany, with whom Annabelle becomes fast friends. With Tiffany by her side, and buoyed by the Funcrafts' less cautious outlook on life, Annabelle is certain she can find her long-lost aunt and bring their family back together again. This quest comprises the plot for book one, The Doll People (2000).
The Doll People is really well-done. The story is similar to tales like Hitty: Her First Hundred Years and The Borrowers, but the authors also add new twists to the concept to make it their own. I love all the descriptions of the ridiculous games Nora plays with all the dolls, including the fragile ones that belong to her sister, as well as the fun little details, such as the fact that Baby Betsy was sent to the original owner of the dollhouse by mistake, and that she is actually a much larger doll from a different set. Martin and Godwin understand what appeals to the imaginations of little girls who love dolls, and they tell a great story using those elements.
Brian Selzick's illustrations, which I don't always like, are perfect for a book like this. His cinematic changes in perspective, and the immersive quality of his pictures really place the reader in the doll world and keep her there for the duration of the story. He does an especially great job capturing the differences in appearance and personality between the Dolls and the Funcrafts.
Book two, The Meanest Doll in the World (2003), sends Annabelle and Tiffany to school in Kate's backpack. When they climb out to explore the school and inadvertently go home in the wrong backpack at the end of the day, they find themselves in a house full of dolls who live in fear of Princess Mimi, a bully who constantly puts them all in danger by intentionally doing things that can't be undone before the humans discover them. Before they return to the Palmers', Annabelle and Tiffany want to save their new friends from Mean Mimi once and for all.
In book three, The Runaway Dolls (2008), the Palmers are getting ready to go on vacation when a mysterious package arrives. Annabelle discovers that it contains a baby named Tilly May - the baby doll that was originally supposed to come with the Dolls has finally been delivered after all these years! Annabelle is overjoyed to have another sister, but also very nervous. What if the Palmers don't realize what's in the package and return it unopened? Unwilling to take that chance, she and Tiffany carefully open the package, release Tilly May, and take off into the great outdoors. Unfortunately, they don't have much of a plan, and before they know it, all three girls, along with their brothers, are placed for sale in a department store from which no doll has ever escaped!
The conclusion of the series, The Doll People Set Sail (2014), is illustrated by Brett Helquist, and sadly, though he tries to uphold the style established by Selznick, the charm just isn't there. The story, which is about the Dolls and Funcrafts accidentally being donated to charity and shipped overseas, is not as strong as the others to begin with, and the loss of Selznick as the illustrator just contributes to the feeling that maybe this series went on just one book too long. I will have no objection to my kids reading it (I gave it three stars), but it kind of a let-down to end the series on a low note.
There is also a picture book companion to the series, The Doll People's Christmas (2016), also illustrated by Helquist. The illustrations are in color, which makes them work a little bit better than Helquist's black and white ones, but the story is bland compared to the plots of the novels. I'll probably bring it out as a novelty at Christmastime sometime after we have read the rest of the series.
My oldest daughter who loves dolls and adventure stories is definitely going to love these books. She will not understand some references (the dolls sing "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, which she has never heard, and a couple of the books mention Barbies, which she has played with but has never heard called by their brand name) but the themes of friendship and family will appeal to her, and since there are always consequences for bad behavior, I feel like the series will uphold the values we are currently trying to teach her. I haven't decided yet whether to read the first one aloud to my two older girls or to just hand it over to the oldest for independent reading, but we will definitely be getting to these soon! They are great additions to our shelves, and I'm happy to have them.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
June 28, 2016
This book was a great finish to the Doll People Series. It wasn't the best book of the whole series, but I still enjoyed reading it.
December 29, 2019
Awal tahun ini, saya membaca ketiga buku dari seri ini berturut-turut, akhir tahun ternyata berjodoh dengan buku keempatnya. Masih bersama kedua keluarga boneka, porselen dan plastik, dengan petualangan yang seru sekaligus menegangkan. Jika di buku ketiga petualangan mereka sudah sampai keluar rumah, maka di buku ini petualangannya lebih jauh dan berbahaya, sampai ke luar negeri.
Seperti di buku-buku sebelumnya, dua tokohsentral di buku ini adalah Annabelle Doll dan Tiffany Funcraft. Kali ini pun ada perkembangan karakter yang menarik dari keduanya. Masing-masing mengembangkan keberanian dan kehati-hatian, yang biasanya hanya dimiliki oleh kawan mereka. Bertemu teman baru, karakter yang bermacam-macam, sekaligus pilihan hidup yang berbeda-beda.
Saya pernah membaca status seorang pembaca di media sosial, intinya ingin ada karakter perempuan yang pemberani, heroik, tapi tetap feminin dan tidak selalu digambarkan tomboy. Saya rasa buku ini cukup merepresentasikan hal itu. Keluarga Doll, terutama Annabelle dan Auntie Sarah, yang memang berkostum gaun panjang kuno, merupakan sosok-sosok yang haus petualangan. Dengan gaun panjang mereka masih dapat memanjat, berlari, dan menyelinap ke sana kemari.
Di buku ini, ilustrasinya agak berbeda karena dibuat oleh Brett Helquist. Namun, dengan mempertahankan imagi karakter-karakter yang sudah dibangun Selznick di buku-buku sebelumnya.
Seperti di buku-buku sebelumnya, dua tokohsentral di buku ini adalah Annabelle Doll dan Tiffany Funcraft. Kali ini pun ada perkembangan karakter yang menarik dari keduanya. Masing-masing mengembangkan keberanian dan kehati-hatian, yang biasanya hanya dimiliki oleh kawan mereka. Bertemu teman baru, karakter yang bermacam-macam, sekaligus pilihan hidup yang berbeda-beda.
Saya pernah membaca status seorang pembaca di media sosial, intinya ingin ada karakter perempuan yang pemberani, heroik, tapi tetap feminin dan tidak selalu digambarkan tomboy. Saya rasa buku ini cukup merepresentasikan hal itu. Keluarga Doll, terutama Annabelle dan Auntie Sarah, yang memang berkostum gaun panjang kuno, merupakan sosok-sosok yang haus petualangan. Dengan gaun panjang mereka masih dapat memanjat, berlari, dan menyelinap ke sana kemari.
Di buku ini, ilustrasinya agak berbeda karena dibuat oleh Brett Helquist. Namun, dengan mempertahankan imagi karakter-karakter yang sudah dibangun Selznick di buku-buku sebelumnya.
February 17, 2022
5 months ago
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Susan Hedstrom Life has not been easy with me after my marriage was broken when my husband filled for a divorced but I thank a friend of mine who direct me to dr IBRAHIM who's like a God on Earth to get my broken marriage restored with his powerful spell. I suffered for depression for 6 months but today, I am so happy for getting to know dr IBRAHIM for his spell has really made me to believe that of a truth spells are real and they work. I adhered to every bit of instructions given to me by dr IBRAHIM for he promised me that he will make me happy and proud and really, all that happened and my husband came back to me with his knees on the ground begging me for forgiveness within 48 hours after I got in touch with him and now we are perfectly bonded again for life. I can boldly say to everyone out there that dr IBRAHIM spells is really the best and most powerful. I'm forever grateful to him till the end of time. So, you can get connected with him on Email via: spellibrahim@gmail.com... Call or WhatsApp with this number +2347015926178
October 19, 2024
"I guess you just never know what you can
do until you actually have to do it." Tiffany
paused. "You also don't know what might
happen to you until it actually happens."
Off the bat, I knew a switch in illustrators meant that I couldn't have the same affinity for the fourth book. Not that Helquist's illustrations weren't still a delight - I just enjoyed what I was already used to. I also didn't much enjoy the drastic shift in Uncle Doll's character - in the first novel, Uncle Doll was encouraging of Anabelle to be adventurous and find her aunt, and in this novel, it seems he did a full 180° and has an attitude the entire time. Other than that, it was packed with the usual mischief and enjoyment that define Ann M. Martin's and Laura Godwin's works. I look forward to reading the novella, and maybe delving into some of Godwin's solo work...as a child I was an avid Martin reader, but Godwin seems to have the same witty charm!
do until you actually have to do it." Tiffany
paused. "You also don't know what might
happen to you until it actually happens."
Off the bat, I knew a switch in illustrators meant that I couldn't have the same affinity for the fourth book. Not that Helquist's illustrations weren't still a delight - I just enjoyed what I was already used to. I also didn't much enjoy the drastic shift in Uncle Doll's character - in the first novel, Uncle Doll was encouraging of Anabelle to be adventurous and find her aunt, and in this novel, it seems he did a full 180° and has an attitude the entire time. Other than that, it was packed with the usual mischief and enjoyment that define Ann M. Martin's and Laura Godwin's works. I look forward to reading the novella, and maybe delving into some of Godwin's solo work...as a child I was an avid Martin reader, but Godwin seems to have the same witty charm!
December 13, 2016
I noticed that a number of reviewers on Goodreads did not especially like this 4th book in The Doll People series, but I liked it as much as the first book. In fact, I thought it was especially clever how the dolls could travel so far away from home, (on a boat all the way across the Atlantic from America to England) since they can only move around when no people are watching them. It was an added treat to meet other doll characters from different "homes" and backgrounds.
I have become addicted to listening to audiobooks, but sometimes there are ones that I feel I must have a hard copy. This series is one I picture myself reading to my youngest grandchild. She is not yet ready for sit-down-and-listen books, but when she is, I want to have a copy with pictures she can enjoy, too. I hope the author writes more of these stories.
I have become addicted to listening to audiobooks, but sometimes there are ones that I feel I must have a hard copy. This series is one I picture myself reading to my youngest grandchild. She is not yet ready for sit-down-and-listen books, but when she is, I want to have a copy with pictures she can enjoy, too. I hope the author writes more of these stories.
November 8, 2023
I did not like this. It just felt off to me. I know there was a different illustrator. I definitely didn’t like the illustrations as much as the original three books. Brain Selznick is the man! But the writing felt off as well and I know the authors names on the cover remain the same but I wonder if they had a ghost writer or some thing. Never in the previous books did it talk about the dolls feelings their sense of smell that they could cry. It just felt really weird to me. And then the story of the merdolls what the hell? I just didn’t get it. Spoiler alert: Part of me wishes that they would’ve ended up with a new family instead of going back to Kate & Nora. But oh well. I wonder if the authors knew this was gonna be their final doll people novel. If they did write a fifth book I would probably read it just for some finality.
November 13, 2017
This is book 4 in the Doll People saga, a beloved series in my home. This book has come after my children are too old for a "read aloud" experience. We all love the characters so much, though, that we continue to follow the books and read them independently. It plays off the Toy Story idea that dolls can be alive, and follows their adventures when the humans aren't around. A great series for families. In this entry, the dolls are inadvertently picked up by a charity when they are supposed to be going into the attic for a short spell. The adventures that ensue happen when the charity boxes are loaded onto a ship set for England! Will the Dolls & the Funcrafts make it back home to Connecticut? You must read to find out.
March 5, 2018
I didn't know a fourth Doll People book existed! Imagine my excitement when I wandered through the children's section at the library and happened to glance at this wonder. I read the original three books when I was a child but by the time this book was published I was old enough to be out of the juvenile fiction sector. This fourth tale brought back so many happy memories of these stories and a happy childhood-time in my life. The plot was well constructed and fun. The characters were just as full of life as I remember and of course I appreciate the wonderful illustrations! It was great to rekindle this flame of a story!
January 26, 2023
grateful to have revisited a childhood favourite in its entirety. but tbh the whole dolls getting lost and then being found got pretty old by this book. the narrative felt tired and I feel like the series could have ended at the third book because this was my least favourite out of all of them. and I kind of wondered what was the reason? all of the male characters being visibly disgusted by outward displays of emotion/affection felt icky especially when I think about the fact that this is a children’s book. also uncle doll is bad mind. glad I read the whole series though love re-exploring a childhood fav and the illustrations were lovely.
April 30, 2025
My 6-year old rated this 5 stars but in all honesty, this was my least favorite of The Doll People series. It was kind of repetitive and I found it less exciting. Also, I found it less believable. Why are donated goods going over to England anyways and the chance of recovering said goods would be so slim. My daughter was also very hung up on the different illustrations in this book; she did not like the way Annebelle looked. We both, however, found the Merdolls part very funny and I enjoyed trying to give the different characters their appropriate accents. Still a fun read-out-loud, just not as good as the first 3.
October 31, 2021
When I first read this book, I was disappointed in it. They changed the illustrator, and the new look lost its "lightness", which I always valued. I love the series, so I gave it another chance and appreciated it more the second time. In this book, there is growth in the characters of Tiffany and Annabelle. It also occurred to me that Tiffany and Annabelle's personalities mirror Kate and Nora. This series sometimes requires a suspension of reality. Things work out in ways they probably wouldn't in real life. I'm okay with that because I read this when I want a break from reality.
July 15, 2024
The fourth and final installment of the Doll People series - I think this one didn't hold up to the others, though the kids definitely still enjoyed it. Here the doll families go on an unexpected adventure after their cardboard box gets mistakenly put on a container ship bound for England. It's a fun environment with new dolls (merdolls!), and both Annabelle and Tiffany realize things about themselves (they can be brave and they can be cautious respectively).
I'm mostly bummed that Brian Selzick didn't do the illustrations this time!
I'm mostly bummed that Brian Selzick didn't do the illustrations this time!
September 28, 2019
The Doll People Set Sail is a decent but not amazing addition to this series. The new illustrations are certainly different from Selznick's, but they're very nice and don't require a lot of getting used to--the characters we know and love are all easy to recognize. I find it interesting that Helquist included pictures of the humans, such as Kate--I thought it was a distinctive choice Selznick made not to show the humans. Maybe I'm remembering wrong and they were there all along?
December 3, 2020
I am definetly entranced with The Doll People and the characters in this book, which is why I had to give the fourth book a try. Although, I do feel this book was a little unnecessary in The Doll People plot, slow-moving and was not as exciting as the first two books. Regardless I did enjoy this book and still have love for the dolls. I especially liked that they were able to stray from the house and have a bit of adventure. Cute book, great series!
April 27, 2024
I read this book as part of a nostalgic challenge to reread all 5 books of The Doll People Series.
What I liked: The new setting of the dolls adventuring while stranded at sea on a freighter was very clever. Merpeople and a superhero were fun additions.
What I disliked: The overall plot needed more originality, was too similar to Disney’s Toy Story 3 (toys headed for the attic mistakenly get given away).
What I liked: The new setting of the dolls adventuring while stranded at sea on a freighter was very clever. Merpeople and a superhero were fun additions.
What I disliked: The overall plot needed more originality, was too similar to Disney’s Toy Story 3 (toys headed for the attic mistakenly get given away).
August 5, 2019
Nice enough story, but I was a bit disappointed that it was essentially the exact same storyline as The Runaway Dolls. The series just isn't the same anymore either without the original illustrator. The beautiful illustrations really made the books and while Brett Helquist has an interesting style, it's just too sharp and not delicate enough for this particular series.
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