Nella is certain that if she can just get a Baby Betty doll, it will be the only thing she'll ever want. When you're living in the Great Depression, though, a store-bought doll is simply too much to ask. Nella and her sisters, Eddy Bernice and Dessa, are surprised and excited when Mama & Daddy present them with a genuine Baby Betty doll on Christmas morning, but in only moments things turn ugly. The girls begin fighting over who gets to play with her, and who will be her owner. Because Nella wanted her so badly, the other girls grudgingly agree to let her have the doll, and they go off to play together without Nella. It doesn't take Nella long to realize, however, that having something you've always wanted isn't nearly as fun without someone else to enjoy it alongside you.

Most of us have had a moment like Nella's in our lives, when we figured out that everything's more fun with friends (or siblings). Jerry Pinkney's beautifully detailed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are just perfect for this old-fashioned, family-oriented story. This is nice for one-on-one sharing in the holiday season.