The Paper Dolls – Review & Craft Activity
I’m very lucky that both my children love stories. We have a playroom, a living room and two bedrooms overflowing with books and (as a reader myself) I could not be more proud. One thing we do indulge in without much restriction is books. They both have their favourites and they love nothing more than sitting down and reading through them. Something we do daily. Therefore, I’m going to start sharing some of our favourites along with a little craft activity to help you bring the story to life.
First up we have Julia Donaldson. I can guantee that if you have a toddler, you’ve come across at least one Julia Donaldson book! Think Room on a Broom, The Gruffalo and Cave Baby. The Bear got a set of 10 Julia Donaldson books for Christmas and by far, her favourite is The Paper Dolls.
THE PAPER DOLLS – WHAT WE THOUGHT
The Paper Dolls is a lovely story all about a little girl and …. well, her paper dolls: “Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie and Jim with two noses and Jo with the bow”. They go on a series of adventures which include a dinosaur, a tiger, a crocodile and a very naughty boy. I was a little worried with the first read where the story was going when a pair of scissors appeared, but it’s a wonderful tale full of nostalgia.
What’s most important though is the Bear absolutely loves it. Beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, The Paper Dolls is written – for the most part – in lovely rhyme and is stupported with gorgeous pictures throughout and filled with colour. The style is perfect for making your very own paper dolls. Which bring me onto our craft activity.
THE PAPER DOLLS – WHAT WE MADE
I’m starting us off easy as an added bonus with The Paper Dolls is that Macmillian Childrens Books have a free printable to make your very own paper dolls. If your child is anything like mine, the Bear immediately wanted to make her very own set once we finished the story. Unfortunately at this point it was 8pm and time for bed, but she didn’t forget. The very next day she remembered came and asked to make her own paper dolls.
Off I popped to the computer to try and find a template or make my own, when I came across the official version. Perfect!! I printed out a few copies and for the next 20 minutes they happily coloured in their dolls.
A few folds later and some quick snips and viola, we had our very own paper dolls.
Although it didn’t take long, it worked perfectly to bring the story to life. We finished off by re-reading the book and comparing our dolls to the ones in the story.
If you fancy getting your hands on your own copy, The Paper Dolls is currently available on Amazon (affiliate link).
I adore the idea of adding activity to book to bring the story to life, as you said. Great idea!! I don’t have any little ones yet but mine is due in June and I will be finding inspiration in your blogs to keep mine entertained and grow his imagination/creativity.
Ahhh congratulations!!! That’s amazing news. And thank you so much x
This is such a cute idea!
These are really cute and creative. I’ll look into this!
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely adorable! I’m glad you had so much fun doing this!
How neat! I love that the book had prints led to go along with the book!!
I love this! I need this for Rosie! I really feel like she would love this.
Everytime we read it now, the bear asks to make paper dolls
I love the idea of a book with an activity tied in like that!
Britt | http://alternativelyspeaking.ca
Love the idea of this book!
Playing with paper dolls is cool, but it can be equally fun for children to play with puppets. Puppets spark creativity, enhance communication skills, and bring stories to life. Let their imagination take center stage and enjoy the puppetry magic!