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Racketty-Packetty House: As Told by Queen Crosspatch
Acclaimed illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin celebrates Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic, a tale of two dollhouses, just in time for its 100th anniversary. When Tidy Castle arrives, brand-new and grand in every way, the Racketty-Packetty House has never looked shabbier, and it is shoved in the corner of Cynthia's nursery. But the Racketty family still dances, sings, and laughs louder than all the fancy dolls combined. When a real-life princess visits the nursery, the Rackettys learn that the humans are planning to destroy their house. Only a miracle — or some very unusual magic — can save them now!
Since its publication in 1906, the story of how Queen Crosspatch and her band of fairies rescued the Racketty-Packetty House has inspired dreamers and readers of all ages in the tradition of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. Now Wendy Anderson Halperin's illustrations, brimming with whimsy and wonder, unlock the magic of two dollhouses — one posh and one proud — to a whole new generation of readers.
65 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1906
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About the author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1,494 books4,993 followersFrances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911).
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
February 12, 2026
Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1906 novella Racketty-Packetty House is basically the tale of two dollhouses in a British upper-class nursery, a dilapidated old one (and of course the Racketty-Packetty House of the book title) and a shiny new one (called the Tidy Castle). And in Racketty-Packetty House, young Cynthia, upon receiving the very much up-to-date, the very modern for 1906 Tidy Castle for her birthday, she no longer cares for her old dollhouse and makes the nurse shove the old and no longer interesting, no longer respectable looking Racketty-Packetty House (and named by Cynthia as being this) behind an armchair, so out of sight and out of mind for the Racketty Packetty House, but yes, that Cynthia in Racketty-Packetty House is also shown by Hodgson Burnett as never taking good care of her toys anyhow (and which is precisely why her grandmother's Victorian dollhouse, why the Racketty-Packetty House is so tumbledown and ramshackle in the first place).
But while the premise of Racketty-Packetty House of Cynthia disdainfully casting aside her old dollhouse for the newer dollhouse she has received as a birthday present (and with Racketty-Packetty House described by Frances Hodgson Burnett as being told from the perspective of a watchful fairy, of one Queen Crosspatch) shows a lot of promise (and also made me interested in wanting to read Racketty-Packetty House), sorry, but the dolls in Racketty-Packetty House actually being animated, being featured as alive, as talking, as moving about, falling in love etc., sorry, but I have found this all a trifle annoying as well as being rather textually tedious and certainly never as reading interest and reading joy creating and retaining for me as in particular Hodgson's Burnett's A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. Although and truth be told, I do rather enjoy the happily satisfying ending of Racketty-Packetty House and that with Cynthia, Frances Hodgson Burnett seems to have provided kind of a blueprint for Mary Lennox of The Secret Garden (which was published in 1911). But indeed and very much unlike Mary, Cynthia never really loses her nastiness and her snobbery, that even when in Racketty-Packetty House the British Princess (unnamed but supposedly Queen Victoria's granddaughter) discovers and adores the Racketty-Packetty House, Cynthia obviously still very much prefers her Tidy Castle (that Cynthia in Racketty-Packetty House giving her old dollhouse to the Princess and thus also saving it and its inhabitants from being burned as trash by the nurse is a positive and gladdening conclusion, but that she is also and in my opinion shown by Hodgson Burnett as not really learning to appreciate her Racketty-Packetty House any better, is not shown as actually transforming, as becoming less arrogant, less snooty, albeit Cynthia is depicted as at least not just being surprised that the Princess enjoys her old and disdained dollhouse but that she also is willing to accept this, even if a bit grudgingly).
Not a bad story is Racketty-Packetty House (but most definitely not on par with A Little Princess and The Secret Garden) and with a pretty decent ending (see above), but that the dolls coming alive (and their antics kind of dragging on and on a bit) rather bore me and that I also do find how Frances Hodgson Burnett has both conceptualised and depicted Cynthia as a bit on the surface and annoyingly flat, yes indeed, this does have to mean that my rating for Racketty-Packetty House can and will only be three stars (and that I also think said rating is generous on my part).
But while the premise of Racketty-Packetty House of Cynthia disdainfully casting aside her old dollhouse for the newer dollhouse she has received as a birthday present (and with Racketty-Packetty House described by Frances Hodgson Burnett as being told from the perspective of a watchful fairy, of one Queen Crosspatch) shows a lot of promise (and also made me interested in wanting to read Racketty-Packetty House), sorry, but the dolls in Racketty-Packetty House actually being animated, being featured as alive, as talking, as moving about, falling in love etc., sorry, but I have found this all a trifle annoying as well as being rather textually tedious and certainly never as reading interest and reading joy creating and retaining for me as in particular Hodgson's Burnett's A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. Although and truth be told, I do rather enjoy the happily satisfying ending of Racketty-Packetty House and that with Cynthia, Frances Hodgson Burnett seems to have provided kind of a blueprint for Mary Lennox of The Secret Garden (which was published in 1911). But indeed and very much unlike Mary, Cynthia never really loses her nastiness and her snobbery, that even when in Racketty-Packetty House the British Princess (unnamed but supposedly Queen Victoria's granddaughter) discovers and adores the Racketty-Packetty House, Cynthia obviously still very much prefers her Tidy Castle (that Cynthia in Racketty-Packetty House giving her old dollhouse to the Princess and thus also saving it and its inhabitants from being burned as trash by the nurse is a positive and gladdening conclusion, but that she is also and in my opinion shown by Hodgson Burnett as not really learning to appreciate her Racketty-Packetty House any better, is not shown as actually transforming, as becoming less arrogant, less snooty, albeit Cynthia is depicted as at least not just being surprised that the Princess enjoys her old and disdained dollhouse but that she also is willing to accept this, even if a bit grudgingly).
Not a bad story is Racketty-Packetty House (but most definitely not on par with A Little Princess and The Secret Garden) and with a pretty decent ending (see above), but that the dolls coming alive (and their antics kind of dragging on and on a bit) rather bore me and that I also do find how Frances Hodgson Burnett has both conceptualised and depicted Cynthia as a bit on the surface and annoyingly flat, yes indeed, this does have to mean that my rating for Racketty-Packetty House can and will only be three stars (and that I also think said rating is generous on my part).
June 10, 2020
A humorous tale that I would have loved as a child. This brings meaning to the old saying, 'One person's trash is another person's treasure.'
... The house itself is a perfect sight,
And everybody's dressed like a perfect fright,
But no one cares a single jot
And each one giggles over his lot ...
I can't make up another verse,
And if I did it would be worse ...
At the very least, I hope a child would come away with an appreciation of things that are old and used, perhaps even battered.
I read the 100th anniversary edition with art by Wendy Halperin. Her art has a joyful feeling that supports the story. I wonder if the original edition were illustrated so well and if I would have enjoyed the story as much if illustrated by a different artist.
... The house itself is a perfect sight,
And everybody's dressed like a perfect fright,
But no one cares a single jot
And each one giggles over his lot ...
I can't make up another verse,
And if I did it would be worse ...
At the very least, I hope a child would come away with an appreciation of things that are old and used, perhaps even battered.
I read the 100th anniversary edition with art by Wendy Halperin. Her art has a joyful feeling that supports the story. I wonder if the original edition were illustrated so well and if I would have enjoyed the story as much if illustrated by a different artist.
July 19, 2017
A fine book about fine people, er dolls. The fun kind that all the fairies want to hang out with. And also some snooty ones wearing labelled clothing (branding themselves voluntarily, the sillies) who are not fun. Quite uptight social wannabes.
i think Rackety-Packety House may have been the site of the very first, very carefully held, tiny Burning Man. That fun.
i love love this book
i think Rackety-Packety House may have been the site of the very first, very carefully held, tiny Burning Man. That fun.
i love love this book
January 8, 2020
Beautiful book that encourages the love of dolls. Sweet story!
February 21, 2014
MAGNIFICENT! This book is a dose of happiness for the world, and I cannot believe how it has been forgotten by time. In the same way that "Wind in the Willows" shows us we should accept our friends and their flaws, this book shows that everything works to the good once we realize that nothing good comes of whining. There's an over-arching narrator to the tale, the Fairy Queen who knows all and only intermittently directs the action when she has to, and the WONDERFUL inhabitants of Racketty-Packetty House who are not jealous when a new Tidy Castle takes their owner's attention off them for a time. It's a 1906 version of Toy Story with a happy ending and lots of uplifting enjoyment. This book is perfect for kids 5-9 and for adults who want to remember what it's like to have a rosy outlook on life.
June 8, 2020
Lovely book..
Jolly good little read about dolls, dollhouses, fairies and a little touch of magic. A nice bedtime story for children.
Jolly good little read about dolls, dollhouses, fairies and a little touch of magic. A nice bedtime story for children.
November 25, 2025
Read-aloud with 6yo & 4yo girls.
Well. If that wasn’t just the most charming story.
I came across it because the illustrator is an absolute favorite of mine, but I had never heard of this work by Frances Hodgson Burnett before.
If you have little girls, share with them this whimsical story of what dolls do when we’re not looking, what are the true treasures in life, and how whimsy and laughter can add joy to the most dismal circumstances.
Well. If that wasn’t just the most charming story.
I came across it because the illustrator is an absolute favorite of mine, but I had never heard of this work by Frances Hodgson Burnett before.
If you have little girls, share with them this whimsical story of what dolls do when we’re not looking, what are the true treasures in life, and how whimsy and laughter can add joy to the most dismal circumstances.
June 24, 2021
When I was little, I used to imagine that my dolls came to life while I slept or when I left the room. In fact, sometimes they seemed to be in different places than where I left them. My dolls, like the Racketty-Packetty dolls, were fun and sweet. This is a refreshing short story by the author of Little Lord Fauntleroy and also The Secret Garden. It belongs to a much simpler time, when girls played with dolls and used their imaginations.
August 14, 2023
Read it aloud to my little siblings. Quite cheerful.
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September 29, 2013Originally published in 1906, this is a charming, classic story (by the author of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden) of two dollhouses and their inhabitants and the little girl who is their careless and untidy owner. With the advent of the new, modern Tidy Castle and its inhabitants, the old-fashioned hand-me-down dollhouse and family gets dubbed Racketty-Packetty, and moved to an out-of-the-way corner of the nursery and ignored. But the old doll family continues to live life to the fullest, in a jolly, happy fashion. And then their world is threatened as they learn that their little owner intends to burn their house, and only the fairy queen Crosspatch, who loves them and visits the happy family often, can save them. (The story is narrated by Queen Crosspatch.) My girls are enchanted by this story that contains timeless lessons about life.
We have the version illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, and my older girls pore over the illustrations constantly, as well as re-reading it. (The cover for the one illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin is not very appealing, but the internal illustrations are lovely.)
We have the version illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, and my older girls pore over the illustrations constantly, as well as re-reading it. (The cover for the one illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin is not very appealing, but the internal illustrations are lovely.)
September 29, 2022
A lovely little story, told from the perspective of the fairy Queen Crosspatch, about a neglected set of dolls who are full of humor and fun. I wished for a little more character development, but they are dolls after all. The language is really wonderful and this would make a great read-aloud, with lots of room for funny voices. Halperin's illustrations capture the tone of the narrative very well, and every page is charming.
March 29, 2014
I could feel the wind blows in The Secret Garden, I could smell the fresh bread in Little Princess, I could (almost) see from the other side of an arm chair in Racketty-Packetty House. Not as vivid as the other 2 books, but I finished its Gutenberg with a huge desire to own this lovely red edition.
July 31, 2020
Nobody can highlight goodness without being preachy like Frances Hodgson Burnett. This was the most delightful story about two doll houses and their occupants. The sepia toned illustrations by Halperin just added magic to the charm. You have never met dolls with such cheer, optimism, sympathy and general good will. I read it aloud to 7 and 10 yo girls and they were equally spellbound as I was. I loved everything about this book.
December 15, 2022
Not one of Burnett's best books, but still a very fun and charming read.
There are themes of being humble, cheerful, etc. as well as a slightly more antiquated but still sweet romance blossoming between 'class divides'.
The Simon & Schuster 100th anniversary edition has MANY typos, that I cannot recommend it.
There are themes of being humble, cheerful, etc. as well as a slightly more antiquated but still sweet romance blossoming between 'class divides'.
The Simon & Schuster 100th anniversary edition has MANY typos, that I cannot recommend it.
September 4, 2020
Sweet story about being happy with what you are and what you have. Great book to talk about joy and who is important and why with younger kids!
April 24, 2020
I like the concept of dolls coming to life, but the execution was a tad boring.
April 30, 2017
Once upon a time, the dolls of Racketty-Packetty House - Ridikilis, Meg, Peg, Kilmanskeg, and Peter Piper - lived in a beautiful dollhouse and had elegant names to suit their lovely clothes and handsome faces. But then Cynthia received Tidy Castle as a gift, and she hid Racketty-Packetty House out of sight behind her door and quite forgot about it. Despite being forgotten and neglected, however, the dolls of Racketty-Packetty House remain cheerful, enjoying observing the goings-on at the neighboring castle and making time every day to join hands and dance. Things become a bit complicated, however, when first, Peter Piper falls in love with a lady from Tidy Castle, and then it looks as though Racketty-Packetty House might be tossed out and burned.
Just as the Toy Story films and Doll People books have done in recent years, this charming 1906 novella taps into kids' fascination with the notion that their toys might come to life when no one is watching. Burnett creates a believable situation in which many children find themselves - feeling tired of an old toy and ashamed by its drabness when a newer and more attractive model appears - and she uses it to demonstrate important truths about class differences, both in wealth and attitude. The residents of Racketty-Packetty house have many problems that could bog them down in sadness and self-pity, but they never indulge in either, whereas those who live at Tidy Castle have many material possessions but seem not to enjoy life. Using the dollhouses to represent two ways of life makes it easy for kids to discuss larger issues about wealth and poverty within a context that is familiar to them.
I have never read The Secret Garden all the way through, so I couldn't say how The Racketty-Packetty House compares, but I did enjoy the writing style, descriptions, and overall moral of the story. I don't think my three-year-old is quite ready to hear this as a read-aloud just yet, but I wouldn't hesitate to share it with a six- or seven-year-old, especially if that child was a big doll lover, as I was at that age. Perhaps this is because my copy of the book is the 100th anniversary edition, but I also feel that the story is very accessible and contemporary-sounding, despite being published in the early 1900s. The updated illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin probably contribute to this a little bit, but even without them, I think the story still holds up really well. I look forward to reading this again with my girls in a few years!
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Just as the Toy Story films and Doll People books have done in recent years, this charming 1906 novella taps into kids' fascination with the notion that their toys might come to life when no one is watching. Burnett creates a believable situation in which many children find themselves - feeling tired of an old toy and ashamed by its drabness when a newer and more attractive model appears - and she uses it to demonstrate important truths about class differences, both in wealth and attitude. The residents of Racketty-Packetty house have many problems that could bog them down in sadness and self-pity, but they never indulge in either, whereas those who live at Tidy Castle have many material possessions but seem not to enjoy life. Using the dollhouses to represent two ways of life makes it easy for kids to discuss larger issues about wealth and poverty within a context that is familiar to them.
I have never read The Secret Garden all the way through, so I couldn't say how The Racketty-Packetty House compares, but I did enjoy the writing style, descriptions, and overall moral of the story. I don't think my three-year-old is quite ready to hear this as a read-aloud just yet, but I wouldn't hesitate to share it with a six- or seven-year-old, especially if that child was a big doll lover, as I was at that age. Perhaps this is because my copy of the book is the 100th anniversary edition, but I also feel that the story is very accessible and contemporary-sounding, despite being published in the early 1900s. The updated illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin probably contribute to this a little bit, but even without them, I think the story still holds up really well. I look forward to reading this again with my girls in a few years!
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
April 24, 2014
I suppose I'm rounding up -- in a way. I was delighted to find this book, and enjoyed it as much as I did, largely because of its connection to one of my favorite children's books, A Little Princess. In that book, born storyteller Sara Crewe tells another child about her fancy that dolls, when we aren't watching them, move about and live active little lives, only to rush back to their chairs just before we come back into the room. For all these years, I never realized that Burnett had written an entire book -- if a short book, for younger children -- based on this idea.
The book itself is a light and pleasant morsel, with pleasing characters, an unsurprising and unobjectionable moral, and a sprinkling of piquant detail. In itself, it's not especially memorable -- but it's worth reading as a sort of tribute to Sara Crewe, a far more enduring character.
The book itself is a light and pleasant morsel, with pleasing characters, an unsurprising and unobjectionable moral, and a sprinkling of piquant detail. In itself, it's not especially memorable -- but it's worth reading as a sort of tribute to Sara Crewe, a far more enduring character.
April 4, 2011
I read this book aloud to my 6- and 8-year-old girls. It begins with a letter from the narrator, the fairy Queen Crosspatch: "Now this is the story about the doll family I liked and the doll family I didn't." It's a charming story about 2 dollhouses and the "families" that inhabit them. Tidy Castle is full of wealthy, well-dressed, high-bred, haughty dolls with lots of servants. Racketty-Packetty house is in the bad neighborhood behind an armchair and is full of poor, ragged, jolly dolls.
We enjoyed reading about what these dolls do when their little girl Cynthia was out of the room (a la Toy Story, I suppose) and how happy, kind-hearted people really have better lives, even if their houses aren't so nice.
We enjoyed reading about what these dolls do when their little girl Cynthia was out of the room (a la Toy Story, I suppose) and how happy, kind-hearted people really have better lives, even if their houses aren't so nice.
December 23, 2024
I'm actually not a huge fan of Burnett's other more popular works, but she hits the ball out of the park with this one! Adorable novella about two families of dolls - one poor and neglected but happy, the other rich and admired but terribly snooty, and a passel of fairies that play a role in saving the neglected dolls. Sweet (but not saccharine), lively and not a little witty, this is a book pretty much forgotten by mainstream children's literature, which is a shame. A childhood isn't complete without at least one reading of this tale!
May 24, 2011
Read with my eight-year-old daughter. A lovely moral teaching us not to judge others based on their appearance nor neighborhood. Could be interpreted as sappy, but my daughter only found it delightful.
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
December 25, 2012
This is one of those childhood books I always remembered, not the title, just the story of a neglected dollhouse and the wonderful dolls within it. Then I was browsing Amazon and there it was. I ordered it to read on Christmas and it was as wonderful as I remember.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
October 15, 2014
It's fun to read a children's book now and then, especially if it's a gem like this one! I love Frances Hodgson Burnett, so I was intrigued by this book, which I had not heard of before. It's about two dollhouses and their inhabitants, as well as the fairies who save the day. What more could you ask for? The charming illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin, added to this 100th Anniversary Edition. Perfect!
April 23, 2010
This book was delightful and I enjoyed reading it to my older girls. I love any books about toys and dolls who come to life when people aren't around. I LOVE dollhouses..so it was delightful. Since this book was first published around 1906....I did have to go to the dictionary to check out some of the vocabulary!
just a delight!
just a delight!
August 10, 2011
I have an ancient copy of this book that I got from my grandmother. It's a charming story, and I have many fond memories of reading (and re-reading) this as a child. Of course I was also the kind of girl who adored the Oz series and A Little Princess, so it may be less attractive to a newer generation.
May 10, 2017
A very fun little story about dolls and fairies!!
August 29, 2019
Over a century old, this short book about two very different dollhouses is as captivating as when it was first written. Little dollhouses as artfully constructed as these aren’t currently the fashion among children’s toys. You can still find them but when are they ever as celebrated as the rundown Racketty-Packetty House or the posh Tidy Castle with its snooty upperclass inhabitants with which the fickle Cynthia replaces them?
The dolls come alive when the humans aren’t about and the denizens of the ramshackle one enjoy themselves immensely with dancing and frolicking (when they aren’t worried about their house getting burnt in the basement). Enterprising and loving fairies do their best to prevent the house’s destruction and their presence is as acceptable as Peter Pan’s invasion of the Darling household—even if Cynthia never sees them.
A child will be drawn in by the RP house characters, especially a messy child who clings to ancient toys even after they are ragged and worn. By the time the princess appears to show Cynthia the value of cherished, old things, we are thoroughly on the side of Ridiklis, Meg, Peg and all the other re-named dolls and want more than anything for them to be saved from a fiery fate.
The book is charming, the characters are silly yet kind and the illustrations of the various dolls are sweetly rendered in pale violet, accompanying the text in large spreads or small inserts in the story.
The dolls come alive when the humans aren’t about and the denizens of the ramshackle one enjoy themselves immensely with dancing and frolicking (when they aren’t worried about their house getting burnt in the basement). Enterprising and loving fairies do their best to prevent the house’s destruction and their presence is as acceptable as Peter Pan’s invasion of the Darling household—even if Cynthia never sees them.
A child will be drawn in by the RP house characters, especially a messy child who clings to ancient toys even after they are ragged and worn. By the time the princess appears to show Cynthia the value of cherished, old things, we are thoroughly on the side of Ridiklis, Meg, Peg and all the other re-named dolls and want more than anything for them to be saved from a fiery fate.
The book is charming, the characters are silly yet kind and the illustrations of the various dolls are sweetly rendered in pale violet, accompanying the text in large spreads or small inserts in the story.
May 10, 2018
This is the story of two doll houses, Racketty Packetty House and Tidy Castle. When Cynthia receives a brand new dollhouse, Racketty Packetty house and its shabby dolls are pushed aside and forgotten. But no matter how neglected and rundown the dollhouse becomes, the dolls inside stay cheerful and have fun in their own charming way.
I remember reading this little story when I was younger, when I loved reading books about toys that came to life. It's just as delightful and funny as it was back then, with a moral at its heart that has stood the test of time. It would be perfect for a bedtime story for little ones, or to read yourself to bring back a simpler time.
I really enjoyed the performance. The narrator did a great job with the dolls' voices and brought a lot of personality to the story. This story, with its playful prose and rhyming names, should really be read out loud, and the narrator brought it to life.
I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
I remember reading this little story when I was younger, when I loved reading books about toys that came to life. It's just as delightful and funny as it was back then, with a moral at its heart that has stood the test of time. It would be perfect for a bedtime story for little ones, or to read yourself to bring back a simpler time.
I really enjoyed the performance. The narrator did a great job with the dolls' voices and brought a lot of personality to the story. This story, with its playful prose and rhyming names, should really be read out loud, and the narrator brought it to life.
I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
July 22, 2018
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - read by KAREN KRAUSE
A cute story for kids and adults. The audible summary says it all, so I don’t need to expand, or else I’ll end up giving the rest of the story away.
This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator (Karen Krause) and I would listen to another. Her use of different voices was appropriate, and she expressed the emotions and attitude of the characters nicely.
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
A cute story for kids and adults. The audible summary says it all, so I don’t need to expand, or else I’ll end up giving the rest of the story away.
This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator (Karen Krause) and I would listen to another. Her use of different voices was appropriate, and she expressed the emotions and attitude of the characters nicely.
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
September 3, 2019
Tender stories to think upon. Some extremely sad, some teaching morals like looking on the bright side.or that living with riches is not always the pleasant dream one would think.
The narrators were brilliant! They were able to set the scene for the stories they read.
In the second story, I was sobbing after just a short while. The gentleman who read had just the right expression. The reader that most impressed was the lady who read about the newly rich poor folk in Paris. How wonderfully she spoke the accented English, telling the tale from the point of view of the Parisian who taught English. And just as special was her North Carolina accent. She really brought the story to life.
The narrators were brilliant! They were able to set the scene for the stories they read.
In the second story, I was sobbing after just a short while. The gentleman who read had just the right expression. The reader that most impressed was the lady who read about the newly rich poor folk in Paris. How wonderfully she spoke the accented English, telling the tale from the point of view of the Parisian who taught English. And just as special was her North Carolina accent. She really brought the story to life.
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