Being Little

Mariah is new. Her world is new to her, too. She feels little, because everything is so big.

She feels very, very little.

Except for the few doll chairs, the chairs are very big.

Mariah told Charlotte that the chairs are too big to move.

"That's because they're heavy," Charlotte said.
"How do we sit in them?" Mariah asked.
"Sometimes we have to get help from others," Charlotte explained. "Children or grownups can lift us up and put us into the chair, if we want, or we can help each other if they aren't around."

"The refrigerator is very big, too," Mariah observed. "How do you get help getting food?"
"Of course, we don't really need real food, because we're dolls," Charlotte answered, "but if we did we would ask to be picked up, like this."

"Look how big the shoes are," Mariah said. "How can you put them on?"
"These shoes belong to people," Charlotte explained. "To grownups. We don't have to put them on, because they don't fit us. We have special shoes, just for us."

Mariah climbed into a very big, comfy chair to read a book. "Even the words in the books are big," said Mariah to herself. "What is 'b-i-s-c-u-i-t-s'? I can't sound that out to make any sense of it."

Mariah got down from the very big, comfy chair and went off to find Charlotte. She found her in the bedroom on the very big, comfy bed.
"I'm having trouble with this big word, Charlotte," Mariah explained. "I can't sound it out."
Charlotte helped Mariah climb up on the bed, so they could sit and look at the book together.

"It's 'biscuits,' Mariah," Charlotte explained. "See, it makes sense, because a person in the story has dog biscuits for the dog. Biscuits are like cookies."

"I think I see," said Mariah. "You don't just sound out the word. You figure out what makes sense in the story, and then you try to think of a word that fits the letters and the meaning."

"You are one smart cookie, Mariah," Charlotte said.

"A smart biscuit!" exclaimed Mariah.

They stayed on the very big, comfy bed, which was very comfy, and they chatted about other things that they thought were big, or that they needed help with.

When they had mentioned everything they could think of, they decided to get down to search the house for more things that were big and that they would need help with. They had taken off their shoes to get onto the bed, so they needed to put the shoes back on.

"I can put these shoes on all by myself," Mariah told Charlotte. "They are not too big."

"But I will need help from a person to get my shoes on and tied," said Charlotte, "even though my shoes are not too big. Fortunately, there is someone here who can help," she added. "That person is taking the photos."

The girls spent the next hour finding things in the house that were very big and that would take help to be able to use. Like the toilet, which was very big.

It was like a game. Charlotte had so much fun with Mariah that she decided to let her wear her pearl necklace. It looks so nice with Charlotte's black sweater, pants and shoes, which she had also loaned Mariah to wear. Charlotte's pearls were not too big for Mariah. Charlotte's clothes were not too big, either. They were just right.

"I know I'm going to enjoy being a member of this family," Mariah said with a sigh. "Even if most things are very big, and I need help with lots of things, and even if I'm very little."

"I know it's going to be wonderful, because I know I can get help if I need it and I will have clothes and shoes that are just right. I know that because I'm a smart biscuit!"

Cast--

Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend

Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.

Mariah: Stories from the Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from the Doll's Storybook and soon Classic Tales Retold: Stories from the Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to St. Jude. Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author for $20 including shipping. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Image on Mariah's yellow T-shirt used with permission, from Free To Be Kids, where human-size shirts with this image are available.

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Copyright © 2018, 2023 by Peggy Stuart

Homework? What Homework?

"What are you doing, Mariah?" Pippa asked as she climbed up next to the older doll.

Mariah turned to look at Pippa. "I'm doing my homework," she replied.

"But you just got home!" Pippa cried. "Don't you want to play for a while before you do homework?"

Mariah laughed. "That isn't how I do it," she said.

"I've found that I do better if I do my homework before I play," Mariah explained, "while what I learned is still fresh in my mind. That's why I always do my homework first."

"Don't you need a break?" Pippa asked.

"I walked home with Charlotte," Mariah said. "That was a nice break. We talked about interesting things while we walked."

As you know, Charlotte and Mariah often walk to school and back together.

Sometimes they they ride bicycles if it's their turn to use them.

There are only three bicycles for eight dolls. Pippa is a little bit too small for the dolls' bicycles, so that's really three bicycles for seven dolls. It means that Mariah and Charlotte could ride almost every other day, if they wanted, but they often let the other dolls have their turn because they would rather walk.

"Walking home from school is a nice break," Mariah said again.

"Don't you want to play outside before it gets dark?" Pippa asked.

"We played outside during recess," Mariah said. 

"I want to be sure my homework is done," Mariah added, "and sometimes I think of something later that I want to add to or change from what I've done. It would be too late to start if I'm already putting on my sleep mask to go to bed."

"I have found that doing my homework first works better for me," Mariah explained. "That's why I do it as soon as I get home."

Then Mariah thought for a moment. "Pippa," she said, "when do you do your homework?"

"When I feel like it," Pippa said, throwing her hands up in the air to emphasize her point. 

"When do you feel like it?" Mariah asked.

Pippa had to think about that. "Usually about bedtime," she replied. "Whenever I get to choose what I'd rather do, one thing or the other," Pippa explained, "I choose the activity I like best. If I have to decide whether I want to play or do my homework, I would usually rather play. If I have to decide whether I want to do homework or go to bed, I would rather do homework."

Mariah shook her head. Well, she rolled her head, actually. She would have rolled her eyes, but her eyes don't move, so she rolled her head instead. When she stopped rolling her head, she asked the younger doll, "And how is that working out for you?"

Pippa had to think about that. She didn't have a ready answer, because she had never thought about how well her decision-making was working for her.

"Sometimes," Pippa said, looking up to help her remember, "I don't get my homework finished, because you and the other dolls turn out the lights," she said, "even though you could sleep just fine with the lights on, because you're wearing your sleep masks. It's hard to write holding a flashlight!"

"Does that mean you go to school the next day without finishing your homework?" Mariah asked, clearly shocked.

"Yes, sometimes," Pippa replied.

"What does your teacher think about that?" was Mariah's next question.

"We had a talk a few days ago," Pippa said. "My teacher said she thought I was using my size to get away with not doing my work."

"Your size?" Mariah wanted to know. "What does your size have to do with it?"

"It's because I'm different from the other dolls," Pippa said. "Everyone else is your size, and I'm the only one who's small. My teacher said that even though some things are harder for me because I'm small, learning isn't one of them."

"That's certainly true!" Mariah agreed. "Your teacher is right. Your head may be a lot smaller than mine is, but your brain is just as big, because doll brains don't take up any space. That's why if someone takes our heads off, what they see inside looks like mostly empty space. You can't see our brains, because they are pretend brains, full of imagination."

Both dolls were quiet for a few minutes. 

Finally Mariah spoke again. "It sounds like that––I mean, how you handle your homework––isn't working for you very well," she said, thoughtfully.

Both dolls were quiet for a few seconds. "I have an idea," Mariah said suddenly. "Why don't you bring your homework here and do it now, while I'm doing mine. We can do our homework together! That way, if I have a question about my homework, I can ask you, and you can help me," she suggested.

Pippa thought it would be nice to help Mariah, so she ran off to get her school books and her worksheet. Soon the two dolls were working side-by-side.

Every once in a while, Mariah would ask Pippa her opinion about something.

Pippa is a very good reader, so she has already learned a lot since she came out of her box. She knows that everything you read (including these stories) teaches you something you didn't know before.

Yes, Pippa is a very good reader...and Mariah is a very good teacher!

Cast--
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.

Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Author's page on Amazon. 

Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to charity (specific information available upon request). Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

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Copyright © 2021, 2024 by Peggy Stuart

The Book

Veronika was looking at a book when Pippa came in from school.

"What are you reading, Veronika?" Pippa asked.

"It's our book," Veronika replied. "The copies for us just came." Veronika turned the book so that Pippa could see.

"It's Mariah," Pippa said. 

"Yes," Veronika agreed. "It has three stories about Mariah, but we're all in it except for you, because you weren't with us when these stories were written."

"I wish I were in it." Pippa said. "Maybe if I had come sooner...."

"Don't worry, Pippa," Veronika reassured her. "I'm sure you will be in the next one."

"I've been wondering," Pippa said, "why did The Writer start writing the stories?"

"It started before I came," Veronika began, "The Writer realized that many people were unhappy, and it was making them want to be unkind to others."

"When Mandy and I came," Veronika said. "The Writer realized that we knew how to be kind and other things children need to know. She thought that maybe we could work together to teach children how good it makes us feel when we do something good for someone else."

Pippa nodded. "Being unkind is bad for you," she said. "It makes you feel bad about yourself afterwards."

"Right," Veronika agreed. "Most dolls know this," she went on. "We come out of the box knowing it. Maybe it's because we're supposed to help children learn to care about each other. It's our most important job."

Pippa nodded again. She hadn't been out of her box very long, but she knew this already. "Being kind makes me happy," she said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "and The Writer hoped we could teach her grandchildren to care more about other people, so they would be happier when they grow up."

"Then we discovered that it's easy share the stories in a blog with other children," Veronika continued. "Come, and I'll show you the blog."

Veronika led Pippa to the dining room where the tablet was lying on the table. She helped the smaller doll climb up onto one of the chairs.

Veronika turned on the tablet and showed Pippa what the blog looked like.

"Hey, that's me!" Pippa said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "and you are in the story we're working on now, too. See? The Writer is taking photos now, and you will be in them."

"I guess we're pretty important," Pippa said.

"Yes," Veronika agreed, "but every doll is important. Each doll has a human person to care for and love. Some of them help a child go on imaginary adventures. Some stand on a shelf for a human person to admire and enjoy. Many of them are company for real children who can't go play with other children. Each doll has a job to do."

"And our job is to be in stories!" Pippa exclaimed. She jumped up onto the table. 

"That's the best job of all!" Pippa added.

"Um...real children should not stand on the table, Pippa," Veronika pointed out.

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.

Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Author's page on Amazon. 

Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to charity (specific information available upon request). Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/19832501/?claim=j3fj3mbb8kt">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Copyright © 2020, 2023 by Peggy Stuart