DO-IT-YOURSELF DOLLHOUSE
Making More with Less
By: Shannon Anderson
Illustrated by: Giulia Pintus
Published: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press
Fiction
Shannon Anderson is the author of one of my favorite children’s books in 2022, I LOVE STRAWBERRIES! In her newest children’s book, she encourages a love of creativity and imagination with the necessity of making do with what you have.
Charley begins her summer with a brand-new dollhouse of her dreams. Charley placed all the furniture in the rooms and played with her doll, Sophie, for a little bit. But, she soon became bored. Down the street, Lucy decided to start her summer by making a dollhouse for her doll, Molly. She started with a cardboard box and found items in their Someday Maybe box to use for furniture. Soon Lucy was having a blast creating all kinds of things for Molly’s dollhouse.
Lucy’s Someday Maybe box is their family box filled with various things that can’t be recycled but still could have a purpose. This might include bottle caps, thread spools, fabric scraps, colored paper, and cardboard. Using her imagination, Lucy created a stool, a tablecloth, paintings for the wall, books, and more. Lucy’s Someday Maybe box is much like what schools and libraries call a Maker Space. Items that can be reused for another purpose plus a little imagination help kids learn to be resourceful and think “outside the box”.
Charley continues to be bored with her own dollhouse, but when she sees Lucy’s homemade dollhouse, they spend their summer creating all kinds of new things and doing lots of rearranging. When the girls spy one of their dads hauling their new washer and dryer boxes to the curb, Charley and Lucy have an even better idea.
Shannon Anderson shares that growing up, her family didn’t have much money so she learned to make things and fix things which taught her to be creative, resourceful, and open-minded. The end of the book includes several websites with resources for creative inspiration. Anderson also encourages families to have their own Someday Maybe box. You could also check with your school or local library to see if they need specific items to be added to their Maker Space/STEM closet.
DO-IT-YOURSELF DOLLHOUSE celebrates the joy of friendship and the wonder of using your imagination and creativity to create something fun. For more Cardinal Rule Press titles, be sure to visit their bookshelf!
Check out the book trailer:
Click HERE for a reader’s guide
Click HERE for coloring pages
Shannon Anderson, an award-winning author and former teacher with 25 years of experience, was named one of the 10 teachers who “awed and inspired” the Today Show in 2019. She taught at both elementary and college levels and now travels the country for author visits, speaking at conferences and events.
Giulia Pintus thinks of herself as a ‘bittersweet’ illustrator, as she likes to combine poetry, irony, and sometimes, add a grotesque note in her artwork. Giulia attended art school where she fell in love with illustration and later received a scholarship to study at Scuola Internazionale di Comics. She is the owner of a dog named Senape, which in Italian, means mustard.
To purchase a copy of DO-IT-YOURSELF DOLLHOUSE, click HERE.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
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Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, DIY, fiction, Giulia Pintus, Shannon Anderson, STEM