Peggy Stuart's Blog, page 2
September 19, 2025
Courage
Veronika thought Mariah looked down in the dumps. She seemed sad. She seemed upset.
Veronika climbed up on the couch to sit next to her sister. "What's the matter, Mariah?" she asked. "Are you OK?"
Mariah was quiet for a moment. Veronika thought she saw Mariah's lower lip try to tremble. She thought Mariah was going to cry.
Then Mariah said, "We were practicing on the stage for the play at school. There were some dolls sitting in the seats where the dolls in the audience (AW-dee-intz) will sit to watch the play. They were pointing at me and whispering and giggling."
"Then I heard them say some words that weren't nice," Mariah continued while Veronika listened. "I won't say what those words were, but I knew they were talking about the color of my vinyl in a way that meant that there was something wrong with being the color it is."
"That isn't nice," Veronika said. "What did you do?"
"Well," Mariah began, "I tried to concentrate on my lines and to stay in character (KAH-rik-ter). That means keep pretending to be the doll I'm supposed to be in the play."
"That's the right thing to do, Mariah," Veronika agreed. "Did you get through your part OK?"
"Yes, Mariah said, "but those dolls were very hard to ignore. It was distracting, and I felt bad. It made me afraid."
"Why did that make you afraid?" Veronika asked.
"It's just I was thinking," Mariah said, "what if they come to the play and do that during the performance (per-FOR-ments)? What if other dolls in the audience do it, too. I'm already afraid of being on stage with dolls sitting, watching me. What if I mess up my lines?" she asked.
Mariah continued, "What if I forget where to walk or don't sound like the doll I'm supposed to be? What if I let everyone down because I'm not any good?"
She was glad she could tell someone about how scared she was and Veronika is a good listener.
Mariah sighed. "Now I'm not sure I want to be in the play anymore," she said, "but I promised the teacher. I don't want to let down the other dolls in the play, so I have to go through with it, even though I'm afraid. They need me."
"That shows that you're brave, Mariah," Veronika pointed out. "You have courage (KUH-ridj)."
"Oh, no I don't," cried Mariah. "I'm very afraid. In fact, I'm more than afraid. I'm terrified (TER-a-fyd)!"
"Mariah," Veronika said quietly, "if you weren't afraid you wouldn't need courage. Having courage is going ahead with something you have to do even though you're afraid. If you aren't afraid, it isn't being brave. It doesn't take courage to do something you aren't afraid to do."
"I know you will be fine, Mariah," Veronika went on, "because you're working hard at it. I know if you or one of the other dolls in the play make a mistake, you will cover it up and make it seem as if that's how it was supposed to be. The audience won't know."
"Even if you aren't able to cover it up," Veronika went on, "it isn't the end of the world. The audience will remember what the play had to say and forget the mistakes."
Mariah thought for a moment. "Maybe I don't need to be afraid of acting in front of an audience, but what if those dolls come back and start making fun of me?" she asked.
"If they dare to do that," Veronika pointed out, "someone will tell them to be quiet or even make them leave. When you are in an audience watching someone perform, you are supposed to be quiet and listen."
Mariah thought about that for a while. Then she gave a big sigh. "Why do some dolls have to pick on others," she asked.
"Well," Veronika replied, "I'm not sure what makes bullies. It isn't right for them to try to make you afraid because you are different from them. They don't understand that it's great that we're all different in some way. Even dolls that are all made exactly alike are different inside. Maybe the dolls who are bullies know they're different, too, but they think it means they don't belong. Maybe it makes them afraid."
"Maybe they need courage!" Mariah exclaimed. "Maybe they don't know how to be brave, but why do they pick on me?" she asked. "How does that help?"
"I'm not sure, but maybe they try to make themselves believe that the color of their vinyl somehow makes them better than you," Veronika went on. "Maybe they want to think they belong just because of their vinyl color."
"Then they try to get other dolls to join in being mean, so they feel they at least belong to that group."
Mariah nodded. "If they start calling me names again," Mariah suggested, "maybe I can pretend I'm in a play about bullies."
"That's a great idea," Veronika agreed. "You'll be the hero of the play!"
"I'll just be kind to them and pretend I'm not upset," Mariah went on. "Maybe I'll pretend I'm trying to set a good example for them."
"That's a great idea!" Veronika agreed. "Bullies want to see the dolls they pick on show fear. If you pretend you aren't afraid, maybe they will leave you alone. If you are kind to them, maybe they will learn to be kind, too."
"I'll use my courage," Mariah said. "I can act the part of a doll who isn't afraid."
"Courage is useful, isn't it?" Veronika pointed out. "There are lots of things in a doll's life that can be scary. We have to be brave to get through them."
Again Mariah nodded. "It's good to have courage" she said.
"It's good to be able to act, too," Veronika pointed out. Then she thought for a moment. "I think when you pretend to be brave, you start to feel brave inside," she said.
Mariah thought about that. She was starting to feel better.
Finally, she said, "I think I can do it. I may have to practice before I get good at it, but it will give me a way to behave. I will just pretend I'm in a play. I think I was afraid because I didn't know what to do."
"Mariah, there are thousands of dolls just like me," Veronika said, "but they only made 250 dolls that look just like you. Even though there are still a lot of dolls who look like you, you are still one of a kind!"
"There may be thousands of dolls who look like you," Mariah said, "but there's only one of you, too. It always helps me to talk to you."
"You figured it out yourself, Mariah," Veronika said. "You just needed to talk about it with someone."
"You're a good listener, Veronika" Mariah sighed.
"I guess that makes us both special," Veronika agreed. "We all need to talk things over with someone who listens."
All dolls are special. All children are special, too. Do your dolls know how special they are? If they don't, maybe you should tell them.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your library to get them for you.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
September 12, 2025
The Homecoming
"There she is!" Mariah called from the window.
Veronika and Mandy were in the upstairs hall when they heard Mariah's voice. "She's home!" they both said at once.
Then they both went down the stairs as fast as they could, which isn't fast, because they are small and the stairs are as tall as chairs.
All of the dolls rushed out to help Jolena with her things. Veronika and Billy carried her suitcases in for her.
Emil brought the big bag with the skis and ski poles.
Charlotte brought Jolena's ski helmet and goggles.
While Mariah paid the driver, Mandy walked with Jolena into the house.
It was so good to see Jolena again. She gave each of them a hug, because she likes hugs, and she knows they do, too.
While the other dolls put Jolena's ski equipment away and her laundry into the basket in the laundry room, Mandy and Mariah made some pretend tea, which is very easy and quick to make. When the tea was ready, the dolls all sat down in the living room to enjoy their tea and catch up on everything Jolena had done in Chile.
Jolena talked about seeing her friend Elizabeth and getting to ski with her.
She talked about the dolls who had come from other countries to train in Chile, too, because they didn't have snow in July where they lived.
She told them about all the new tricks she had learned to do on her skis.
Finally, when she had told them all the important things about her trip, she looked around at her sisters and brothers. "Now," she said. "Tell me what you all have done! What did I miss?"
All the other dolls started talking at once. Jolena couldn't make any sense out of it. "Wait!" she cried.
"Let's do this one at a time," Jolena suggested. "We'll just go around the circle, and one person at a time can talk." They thought that was a good idea, so that's what they did.
First Emil said, "I got locked in the dishwasher when Billy and I were cleaning up after cooking dinner!"
"Oh, my!" Jolena exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"I banged on the door," Emil said. He held out his hands to show Jolena how he banged on the door of the dishwasher.
Then he explained that Billy and Charlotte had let him out.
Jolena thought about that. "I guess," she said, "if I need to teach anyone else how to cook, I will have to tell them to be sure not to climb into the dishwasher...or the oven, or the fridge."
When it was Billy's turn, he said, "Some workmen came last week and replaced all the windows on the back of the house."
"We got to watch!" Billy added.
Veronika was next. "Mandy and I got new shoes last week," she said, holding up her feet, so Jolena could see.
"Veronika," Mandy said, "That's what I was planning to say."
"Go on, everyone," Mandy added, "and I'll think of something else that happened while Jolena was gone. You can come back to me."
Charlotte said, "I've been learning a new piece on my violin. It's by Mozart (MO-tsart) and very...um...challenging (CHA-lun-jing). I have had to work hard on it, but I think I can play it for you soon."
Mariah said, "I'm going to be in a play at school at the end of the month. Billy has been helping me learn my lines. They picked me for it because they needed a few dolls who look different from the others."
"My, you all have been busy!" Jolena said. Then she looked at Mandy. "Did you think of anything else, Mandy?" she asked.
"Yes," Mandy said. "Wait until you see the zucchini (zoo-KEEN-ee) plants! They already have blossoms and that means that soon we will have some zucchini to pretend to eat."
"Let's go look!" Jolena said. "Zucchini is good roasted or in soups and stew."
"I like zucchini on pizza!" Billy put in.
"If you wait too long to pick one," Emil suggested, "It will get very big, and you can use it for a baseball bat."
Mariah laughed. "When you get done playing baseball with it," she said, "you can scoop out the seeds, fill the hole with some yummy filling and bake it, maybe with some cheese or bread crumbs on top."
All the dolls wanted to go look at the zucchini plants, so they did. They were all happy to have Jolena back home again.
Then they turned around, so Jolena could see the new windows on the back of the house.
"Lovely!" Jolena exclaimed.
"Yes, they are very nice," Emil agreed.
"They are something called energy efficient (IN-er-gee ee-FIH-shint)," Billy said. That means they will help keep the house warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. That will save The Writer and her husband money."
"That's wonderful," Jolena agreed, "but I meant it's lovely being home with my brothers and sisters!"
It was lovely to have Jolena home again, too.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your library to get them.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
September 5, 2025
The Boys Cook Dinner
No one was cutting vegetables at the sink. No yummy smells were drifting through the air. No beeps or buzzes or whirring sounds came from the appliances sitting on the countertops.
"I think it was Monday," Billy replied, "but I'm pretty sure she won't feel like cooking for a couple of days. She was pretty tired when she came home from last year's Doll Ski Team practice in South America."
Billy knew that Emil was missing Jolena––he missed Jolena, too––but they also missed her cooking. The dolls hadn't hadn't pretended to eat a really good, home-cooked meal since she had left, and they were missing it. All the dolls could cook, but no one could cook like Jolena! She often organized the other dolls so each one had a job to do. She would show them how to do their jobs correctly. Billy could remember Jolena in the kitchen, teaching and encouraging the other dolls, and would be very happy when she was home again.
"Well, it's our turn to cook," said Emil, turning to look at the refrigerator, which was the first place to start when trying to decide what to have for dinner. "What should we fix?"
"We need to be sure what we fix is good for us," Billy said. "We need something from each of the different food groups."
"Let's fix an extra food, too," Emil said, thinking about cookies or pudding.
"Let's see what's in the refrigerator," Billy said. The boys knew some easy dishes they could cook all by themselves. All they needed to do was see if what they needed was on hand.
There were lettuce, mushrooms, sprouts and other things for salad in the refrigerator. They found some frozen vegetables and cooked chicken in the freezer. There were some bottles and jars of sauces in the pantry. There is always rice. That suggested to them one of the easy things they knew how to fix. If they cooked some rice, heated up the vegetables and chicken with a sauce, made a salad and gave each doll a glass of milk, it would make a meal that would give them some of each of the kinds of foods they needed to be healthy.
After they decided what to cook, the boys got to work. First they helped each other tie cloth napkins around their waists to keep spills off of their clothes.
Then the boys washed the bottoms of their shoes and their hands before getting up on the countertop. (They know real children should not sit or stand on the countertops, but for some things the dolls have to because they are so small.)
Now they were ready to cook. They put water and rice into the big rice cooker.
Emil plugged in the rice cooker. He made sure his hands were dry. He was careful not to get his fingers too close to the electrical outlet, because he didn't want to get a shock.
Billy turned the rice cooker on and set it for the kind of rice they were using. Then the boys mixed the frozen vegetables and cooked chicken with a sauce from a bottle.
They put it next to the microwave to cook later when the rice was done.
They made a salad with some lettuce, some sprouts and the other vegetables they had cut up.
They baked some cookies from some of Jolena's cookie dough that was in the freezer. They made sure that they had enough for each doll to have one cookie to pretend to eat. Usually that would be seven, but Jolena wasn't going to be eating one, so they baked only six cookies.
They put the vegetables and chicken into the microwave and set it for the time they knew it would take.
While the vegetables and chicken were heating up, they cleaned up after themselves. The other dolls would put their own plates into the dishwasher after they all pretended to eat. The boys could put a few things into the dishwasher now, but they had to wash some things by hand.
Then they washed the countertops, because they had been standing on them. Billy was just closing the dishwasher door when Charlotte came into the kitchen.
"How is it going?" Charlotte asked.
"We're all done now," Billy replied, "except for putting it on the table."
Charlotte looked around. "Where's Emil?" she asked.
Billy looked around, too. He was surprised not to see Emil standing next to him. "I don't know," he said. "He was just here. We were putting some things into the dishwasher."
Charlotte and Billy heard a thumping sound coming from the dishwasher.
When they opened it, there was Emil!
"Oh, I'm sorry, Emil!" Billy cried. "I must have closed the door without looking to see if you were out!"
"It's OK, Billy," Emil said, as he climbed down. "I'm just glad you didn't turn it on! The dishes need washing, but I don't, and the water might have ruined my special glasses and my hearing aids!"
"Boys," Charlotte said, "please be careful. You should pull the tray out to load the dishes. Climbing inside could be very dangerous."
"Yes," Billy agreed, "I see that now, and I should have looked inside before closing the door!"
"Well," Charlotte said, "It's a good thing we were right here to let you out. You could have been stuck inside there for hours! The doors to dishwashers and refrigerators are hard to open from the inside. The people who make the appliances don't expect dolls to be in there and need to get out."
"I won't do that again!" Emil promised. Just then the rice cooker and the microwave both beeped. It was time to put everything on the table.
"Let's call the others!" Emil said. "We can pretend to eat!"
Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Photo of cookies by Isabelle Acheson on Unsplash.
This story appears in the book Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the Book Baby Bookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your library to get them for you.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
August 29, 2025
Mariah's Play
"What are you reading?" he asked her.
"I'm not reading, actually," Mariah explained. "I'm going to be in a play at school. This is the script (SKRIPT). That's the play all written down, with the things the characters say and do all explained."
Billy thought that was interesting. "I didn't know you were in the acting class," he said.
"I'm not in the acting class," Mariah replied. "The teacher who is putting on the play came to my class and asked if I would be in it. She said they really needed me and a few other dolls who are not in the class."
"So what are you doing with the script?" Billy asked.
"I'm studying my lines," Mariah explained. "My lines are what I'm supposed to say. It's my part in the play."
"What's the play about?" Billy asked.
Mariah pointed to her papers. "There are some dolls," she said, "who all look like Veronika and Jolena and have all lived in the same place all their lives. They all believe the same things. They are all girls. In the play, they have a problem they are trying to work out, and they can't figure it out."
"Then," Mariah went on, "they start talking with some other dolls, dolls who have different faces or different-colored vinyl, like me, some boys, some dolls who come from different places, and dolls who have different beliefs. They get different ideas from the dolls who are different from them."
Mariah explained that the play shows how important it is to have something called diversity (dih-VERS-ih-tee) when you're trying to figure something out or solve a problem or build something new. "Having diversity means having different kinds of dolls in your group," she said.
"Did that help with the problem?" Billy asked.
"It did," Mariah told Billy. "I think why it worked has to do with seeing things differently or having a different point-of-view. If I could just think of an example...."
She thought about that for a few seconds. "I know!" she cried suddenly. "Look at your hand!" she said.
Billy looked.
"What do you see?" Mariah asked.
"I see some jam I didn't get off when I washed my hands after I pretended to eat lunch," Billy said.
"What else?" Mariah asked.
"I see four fingers and a thumb," Bill said.
"Yes!" Mariah exclaimed. "Those four fingers are very much alike. They all come from the same direction. They are very good at what they do and at working together, but even when they work together, there are things they can't do. They are like dolls who are all alike. They are like dolls who all see things the same way."
"It's hard to pick things up with just my fingers," Billy said. "I usually need to use my thumb."
"That's right," Mariah agreed. "Your thumb comes from a different direction. It's able to do different things from the fingers. You have diversity in your hands, because your fingers and thumbs are different from each other. When they work together, they are able to do things they can't do alone."
"There are things that are hard to do with my right hand," Billy said. "I have these two fingers stuck together." Billy held up his right hand for Mariah to see.
"Yes," Mariah agreed. "We all do. It's one of the many ways we're all alike.
"My two hands are different from each other," Billy observed.
"Yes," Mariah said, "and they come from different directions, so you can do things with both hands that would be difficult to do with just one."
"It would be hard for me to pick up and use my camera without my thumbs," Billy agreed, "and I need both hands to set it up to take photos."
"Yes," Mariah concluded, "Your fingers and hands are like the dolls in the play. When they were all just alike they couldn't work out the problem. If you have a problem to solve or a project to work on in a group, it's better to have some dolls who are different from you in your group."
"When will the play be?" Billy asked. "I want to come."
"It's at the end of next month," Mariah said. "We have a lot of rehearsing––that's practicing––to do before then. Would you like to help me learn my lines?"
"What do I do?" Billy asked.
Mariah handed him her papers. "My part is underlined," she explained. "You read me what all the other dolls say except what's underlined. I'll say my part, and if I get stuck and can't remember, you prompt me. That means you tell me the beginning of that line to remind me."
"I'll be your thumb," Billy said. "I'll help you do something you can't do by yourself!"
Mariah agreed Billy was indeed being like a thumb. It was going to be much easier for her to learn her lines with Billy's help.
Cast--
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your local library to get them for you.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
August 22, 2025
A Ski Trip for Jolena!
"Why is Jolena packing?" Emil asked as he and Billy looked in through the door of the workroom. "Is she going somewhere?"
"It's time for her yearly ski trip," Billy replied.
The boys got up on the table to watch Jolena pack. They could see that she had her pajamas and sleep mask in a small bag, and was putting her ski clothes in the larger bag, with her ski boots. Her skis were sticking out of a long, black bag. They thought her poles must be in there, too. Jolena was looking at her special T-shirt. All the dolls would be wearing their Ski Team T-shirts under their ski clothes. She was thinking about seeing her friends.
Emil was confused. "Doesn't she need snow to ski?" he asked. "It's summertime. There's no snow right now."
"She's going to Chile (CHILL-eh)," Billy explained. "It's winter there right now. They have lots of snow."
The boys left Jolena to her packing and went down the stairs. It took a while, and while they were making their way down the stairs, Emil was thinking.
"It must be chilly in Chilly if they have snow." he said.
Billy laughed. It's chilly there," he said, but the country is named Chile," and he pronounced it again for Emil, CHILL-eh. "It's winter there now. It's in South America," Billy added. "South America is a continent, like North America, where we live. Come, and I'll show you on a map where Chile is."
The Writer's computer moves around the house a lot. Sometimes it goes outside, too, but Billy always seems to know where it is. Emil followed Billy Into the dining room, and there was the computer. Billy turned it on. Then he hit a few keys on the keyboard. (Billy is allowed to use the computer whenever The Writer isn't using it. He knows to be careful with it.)
A map of South America appeared on the computer screen. Billy pointed to where Chile was on the map. "That's Chile," he said. "It's this very long, skinny country on the western side of the continent, right along the coast."
The boys looked at the map. The map looked like this. The people who made the map made each country a different color, so you could see where they were.
If you look at the map you can see Chile. It is colored purple on this map.
"There are some mountains along almost the whole coast of South America," Billy explained. "They are some of the highest mountains on earth. They are called the Andes (AN-dees).
"Jolena is going to a ski resort here," Billy continued, as he pointed to a place on the map about halfway down the country. "It's very high up in the mountains, and they have snow to ski on right now."
"Wow!" Emil exclaimed. "Is she going all alone?"
"She's going with the whole US Doll Ski Team," Billy replied. "They're all flying together in a plane to Chile to practice. While they are there, Jolena will fly through the air on her skis."
"That's a lot of flying," Emil said.
"I'm wondering, though, how can it be winter there when it's summer here?" Emil wanted to know.
"Mandy explained it to us when spring came last year," Billy said. Billy hit a few keys on the computer. It went to The Doll's Storybook blog. Billy found the story "It's Spring."
"Let's read it again," Emil suggested.
"That's a great idea," Billy said, "but let's use the iPad to read it, so we can get comfortable. The boys settled down in the big beanbag chair and read the story. Emil paid special attention to the part about how the earth goes around the sun and how that makes the seasons.
(You can click here and read that story, too.)
When they were done reading the story, Emil understood how it could be winter in part of the world when it was summer in another part.
While the boys were reading the story, Jolena had finished packing. Jolena will need to take warm clothes with her, as well as her skis and ski equipment. That means a lot of luggage. The boys had just finished reading the story, when Jolena appeared in the living room. "It's almost time for my ride to get here," she said. "I want to say goodbye."
Jolena said goodbye to each of her sisters and brothers. Each doll got a hug, because they all like hugs.
"I think your ride is here," Billy said, looking out the window.
"I think I'm missing something," Jolena said, putting her skis down and looking around. "I am! I forgot my helmet and my goggles! I can't ski without those."
"We'll put your things into the car," Mandy suggested, "while you go get them. That way your ride won't have to wait."
As the dolls were finishing putting Jolena's luggage into the car, Jolena was just rushing to the door with her helmet. "My mittens were in my helmet," she cried. "If I had left those behind I would have frozen my little vinyl fingers off!"
After Jolena got into the car, the girls started back up the stairs, but the boys watched as the car drove away.
Emil watched out the window for a long time after the car was gone.
The other dolls would miss Jolena, but it would be nice imagine her in all that snow in Chile.
"Who's going to cook for us while Jolena is away?" Emil asked Billy.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Map of South America is from Geology.com and is found here.
Photo of skier by Felipe Giacometti on Unsplash.
"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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
August 15, 2025
Beliefs and Facts
"I'm worried about Mariah," Emil said, sitting down next to Jolena on the front steps.
"Why?" Jolena asked. "What's wrong with her?"
"She isn't pretending to eat," Emil said. "She didn't have any breakfast, and she didn't come to lunch. I wonder if she's pretending to be sick."
Jolena laughed. "No, she isn't pretending to be sick," she said. "She's fasting. Ramadan (RAH-mah-dahn) has started, and she doesn't pretend to eat or drink anything during the daytime. She will do that for a month. She will pretend to eat after it gets dark, though, and she got up early this morning to have something to eat before sunrise."
"Why is that?" Emil asked. "What's Ramadan?"
"Muslim people and dolls fast during Ramadan," Jolena replied. "Ramadan is their name for the month of fasting."
Emil thought about this. Then he asked, "Why do they do that?"
Jolena had to think back to when Mariah explained it to her.
She remembered they were on a bike ride, and Mariah didn't take water with her. Yes, that was how the subject came up! She wouldn't even take any when Jolena offered her bottle.
"Mariah told me that she and other Muslim people and dolls fast all day each day during Ramadan. That means that they don't eat or drink, pretend or for real," Jolena explained. Then she thought some more.
"She said it made them feel closer to God, only she used a different name for God. I think she called God Allah (AH-lah). She said fasting also made her feel grateful for what she had, because it showed her what it was like to do without," she added.
Emil thought about that. "I wonder why we don't all believe the same things," he said. "I mean, why is Mariah Muslim, but Charlotte and I are Jewish, and you and the others are Christian?"
"I've been wondering that, too," Jolena agreed. "Let's find Mandy or Veronika and ask. I'm not sure who would know more about it."
Veronika and Mandy were sitting together on the workroom table. Mandy was knitting, of course, and Veronika was reading to her.
"We have a question," Jolena began, as the two older dolls looked up.
"Yes," Emil said. "We're wondering why the dolls in our family believe different things. I mean, why we have different religions. Why is that?"
Mandy and Veronika looked at each other.
Then, as if by an unspoken agreement, Mandy began. "We exist...we are here ...to help children learn how to grow up to be kind, responsible adults. That's a doll's job," she explained.
"Yes," Veronika agreed. "Real children come from families that practice different religions or none at all, and some families, like ours, have more than one religion."
Jolena looked thoughtful. "But how do you know which religion is right?"
"Remember the experiment we did with the salt water?" Mandy asked, looking at Jolena.
Jolena nodded. "Yes, I remember," she said. "It was before you came, Emil," she added, looking at her brother. "We put salt water in a dish, covered it with plastic, and the sun turned it into fresh water. The sun warmed the salt water and turned it into a gas. The gas rose to the plastic wrap that covered the dish and then dripped down into a smaller dish where the plastic wrap was weighted down with stones. That water wasn't salty."
"You're remembering that experiment well," Mandy told her. "We do experiments," she explained, "so we can test an idea we have. We call the idea a hypothesis (hy-PAW-thuh-sis). If the experiment proves the idea is right, we can call it a fact."
"With the salt-water experiment," Mandy continued, "our hypothesis was that we could make fresh water out of salt water using the energy from the sun. It worked, so we can say that it's a fact that we can make fresh water that way. Every time we try it the same way, it comes out the same."
Jolena and Emil looked at each other. They weren't sure they knew where Mandy was going with this talk about experiments.
Mandy knew what they were thinking, though. "You're wondering what experiments and facts have to do with your question," she said. "I want you to understand the difference between facts and beliefs," she explained. "Facts are things that can be proven, or if proven wrong, then they are not facts, but incorrect guesses."
"Religion is made up of beliefs," Mandy continued. "Beliefs are things we think are true but can't prove or disprove."
"Yes," Veronika agreed. "We may know in our hearts that our belief is true, but we can't prove it, and no one can disprove it, either. It doesn't mean it isn't true."
"So, when it comes to religion, we don't know who's right?" Emil asked.
"Maybe we're all right," Mandy replied. "Maybe the different things we believe are just different ways of seeing the same thing. We have no way of finding out, so you can't make other dolls believe something you believe if they don't."
"At the same time," Mandy continued, "We have to allow other dolls to believe what they believe. We don't have to all believe the same things."
"That takes us back to your first question," Veronika said. "Why don't we all believe the same thing? I think it's because real human people don't all believe the same thing. Real children need to learn to respect each other's beliefs so they will treat each other kindly when they grow up."
"All of our religions," Mandy pointed out, "teach that God or Allah or whatever we call the Supreme Being wants dolls to be kind to each other. Even dolls who don't have a religion think that's a good idea."
Suddenly the dolls in the workroom notice a pleasant aroma reaching their noses.
Charlotte is helping Mariah in the kitchen. They're cooking for Ramadan. Mariah won't eat until the sun goes down, but she is looking forward to it, because she is pretending to be very hungry.
All the other dolls decide to wait until the sun goes down to eat, so they can share the feast with Mariah. It will be fun!
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
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.
Do you like our stories? Some of them are available in print:
The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a Stranger, The Rescue, Unmasked, Fuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.
Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.
The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.
Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
August 8, 2025
Unmasked! A Retelling of an Old Story
Well, it wasn't that long ago. Maybe she's even still there! The cottage wasn't really tiny, either, and the house was in a neighborhood with other houses, but the neighborhood really was surrounded by a forest.
The little old lady was indeed little and old, though. She worked sewing masks out of cloth for doctors and nurses to wear over their noses and mouths to keep from spreading their germs.
With her in the tiny cottage...or the nice house...was a group of dolls.
Each day, the dolls stood or sat around in the workroom of the little old lady's house and watched her sew. They watched everything the little old lady did.
They peeked in the door of the laundry room and watched the little old lady as she washed cloth to use.
They watched her as she pressed the cloth smooth with the iron.
They watched her as she folded the cloth and cut strips and bigger pieces for the masks using a cutter that looked like a tiny pizza cutter.
They watched her as she marked lines on the bigger pieces with a special kind of pencil.
They watched her as she stacked the pieces together that belonged together and picked out matching thread for each kind of cloth.
They watched her as she sewed hems in the masks.
They watched her as she used the iron to press folds into the bigger pieces. They watched her put pins in the folds.
They watched her as she cleaned up after herself. She picked up tiny scraps off the floor and threw them away. She folded the bigger scraps to put back in the cupboard.
The little old lady looked tired. She had been working hard. The dolls worried that she might need to rest. One day, when the little old lady went to make and eat her lunch, they put their heads together. They met in the upstairs hallway and quietly talked about it. They decided that they would try to help.
The little old lady went to have a lie down for just a few minutes after lunch. Before she knew it, she was asleep. One of the dolls checked to be sure she was asleep. They wanted her to sleep, because she needed it, and they needed her.
The little old lady slept for several hours, because she was so very tired. When she woke up, she was upset that she had slept so long, and she rushed to her workroom to start working for the afternoon. This is what she found.
"Oh, my goodness!" she cried. "How did all these masks get finished? They are all from my cloth, but I don't remember sewing them. I must have elves!" Shaking her head, she went back to work and finished a few more masks before suppertime and bed.
The next day she worked all morning, washing, drying, measuring, cutting, marking, pressing, sewing and cleaning up. At lunchtime she went to have some lunch and then lay down on the couch for just a few minutes. Again she quickly fell asleep. Again one of the dolls came to make sure she was asleep.
When the little old lady woke up, she saw that she had slept too long again, and she rushed to her workroom to start working for the afternoon. This is what she found.
"Now I know I have elves!" She said, looking around. She set to work again and made a few more masks before bedtime.
The following day the little old lady worked all morning, then went to fix her lunch. After she ate, she lay down on the couch for her nap, but she only pretended to fall asleep. One of the dolls came down the stairs to check on her and saw her sleeping...or so he thought.
After a little while, the little old lady got up from the couch. As quiet as a mouse, she tiptoed back up the stairs to her workroom. This is what she found. Two dolls were pressing some cloth. They looked startled when they saw her.
One doll was marking pieces for the folds. She was concentrating so hard she didn't notice the little old lady in the doorway.
One doll was pinning the folds in the fabric. She stopped and stared at the little old lady.
One doll was sewing with the sewing machine. She looked up. She was very surprised to see the little old lady in the workroom.
One doll was taking the pins out of the pieces that had been sewn. He stopped and stared at the little old lady, as she came into the workroom and looked around.
One doll was cutting the thread that held the finished pieces together. He didn't know what to do, he was so surprised.
Another doll was picking up the tiny pieces of leftover cloth and putting them into the trash.
Two dolls were folding up the bigger pieces to put away in the cupboard.
"I knew I had elves!" she cried.
The dolls didn't move.
"Don't worry," she told the dolls. "It will be our little secret. Let's work together. It will be more fun that way, and maybe I can rest more." So they made masks together, and the little old lady took a nap every day after lunch.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz EmiliaPippa: Götz Little Kidz LottaPauly: Götz Little Kidz PaulPam: Götz Little Kidz Springtime
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
This story has appeared in print in the book More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart.
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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Author's page on Amazon. Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.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/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2024, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
August 1, 2025
Making Do
Then Emil told Veronika, because it's important that you tell Veronika everything. She was in the workroom, picking out thread to go with her fabric.
Then he told Charlotte, because she was nearby, practicing her violin.
Then he told Jolena and Mariah, because they were sitting on the stairs, helping each other with their hair. (He didn't understand why the girls like to have long hair. It's so much trouble.)
He didn't tell Mandy. He couldn't tell her. The Writer had planned to take him shopping for Mandy's birthday present. The Writer had planned to take each of them to buy their presents for Mandy. Now that could not happen. Each doll had to come up with a Plan B. That's something you have to think up to do when your first plan (Plan A) isn't going to work out.
There are no stores close enough to walk to or to ride their bicycles to. There was no bus that came down their street except the school bus, and Emil could not use the school bus to go to the store.
After Emil had explained the problem to each of the other dolls, he sat down and thought. What could he give Mandy for her birthday? He couldn't think of anything. He wondered what the other dolls were going to do.
He decided to ask them, so he went back to where he had found each of them last.
First Emil asked Billy. He found him still in the hall upstairs. Now he was messing with the camera phone, where the light from the laundry room lit up the hall. He had Marmalade with him. The cat was standing on a chair."What do you plan to give Mandy, now that we can't go to the store?" he asked him. "I came up with a great idea," Billy said. "I'm going to give Mandy a photo of Marmalade."
Emil agreed that was a great idea and told him so.
When Emil went back to Veronika, he found her looking through her fabric."What do you plan to give Mandy, now that we can't go to the store?" he asked her.
"I'm going to make Mandy some new leggings," Veronika replied. "I can have them done in time. I just have to find the stretchy fabric."
Emil thought that was a great idea and told her so.
Then Emil went back to Charlotte, who was putting her violin away."What do you plan to give Mandy, now that we can't go to the store?" he asked her.
"I've decided to play and record an Irish jig for Mandy," Charlotte said. "I can record it on the phone and send it to her, so she can listen any time she likes. It will remind her of the fun she had in Ireland."
Emil thought that was a great idea and told her so. "That could be just as fun for her as having something from the store," he said. "Maybe even better."
Emil went back down the stairs. Mariah and Jolena were still working on their hair."What do you plan to give Mandy, now that we can't go to the store?" he asked them.
"We have been talking about that," Jolena said. "When you have a problem," Mariah explained, "it helps if you can talk it over with someone. That gives you ideas."
"Yes," Jolena agreed. "We have it all figured out. I'm going to bake Mandy her favorite cookies.""And I'm going to give Mandy this," Mariah said, holding up a piece of paper with "I.O.U." written on it.
"It will be for the new knitting book Mandy has been wanting," Mariah said. "Then she and I can go to the store together to buy it after the car is fixed."
"What does 'I.O.U.' stand for?" Emil asked.
"An I.O.U," Mariah explained, "is something you give someone when you don't have the real thing yet. It means I owe you something and will give it to you later."
Emil thought about that. "I.O.U.," he said. "I owe you. I get it. Clever!"
Emil thought the girls had great ideas for presents for Mandy and told them so.
He decided to go off and think about what each of them had told him. Each doll had solved their problem in a different way. Some of them had used their special skills or talents. They had thought about Mandy and what she enjoys. They had put those things together.
Emil thought about what Mandy was like and what she enjoyed doing. He knew Mandy liked to knit.
Emil knew that Mandy enjoyed being outdoors.
He knew she loved science and liked to do experiments.
Emil knew Mandy loved animals, especially Marmalade.
Emil thought about what he was good at doing. His special gift is he can listen to animals talk with their minds and tell others what the animals are thinking. Aside from that, he didn't think he had any special talents. How could he use that to give something to Mandy? He thought hard. Then he thought about other things for a while, to see if that helped him come up with an idea.
That worked! "I know what I'll do!" Emil said to himself. "I'll ask Marmalade what Mandy would like!" He went off in search of the cat.
Marmalade was not in the hall with Billy anymore, but Emil found him curled up on one of the windowsills. The cat got up when Emil came in. He seemed to know already that Emil was needing something important from him.
"Marmalade," Emil said to the cat in his head, "What do you think Mandy wants for her birthday? I need something I can get without going out in the car." He looked at Marmalade and thought about Mandy's present.
Marmalade looked back at Emil and showed him a picture of a video playing on the tablet the dolls used. It was a new movie, about a girl who lived long ago.
Emil knew which movie it was. "That's perfect!" he whispered softly. "I can get that for her to watch on the tablet without going anywhere. I'll get The Writer to download it, and I'll give her the money. Thank you, Marmalade!"
Right before the party for Mandy Emil wrote a note telling her that her movie was now in the tablet movie library, and she could watch it any time she liked.
He wrapped the note in birthday paper.
Mandy was thrilled with all of her presents. She was happy that each doll had thought about what she would like and had managed without going anywhere. "Everything is so lovely," she said happily, as they cleared the dishes and wrapping paper. "You've all made my birthday so special. It means a lot to me. Thank you!"
Then she looked at Emil. "I do have one question, Emil. How did you know I wanted to have this movie? I never told anyone."
"A little birdie told me," Emil replied, trying to keep a straight face.
"I think that birdie was more likely a cat," Mandy replied, looking at Marmalade, who was watching from across the room, trying to look...like a cat.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Author's page on Amazon. Coming soon: Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook.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 © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
July 25, 2025
Playing at a Distance
Billy thought Jolena looked sad. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Jolena looked up. "Hi, Billy," she said quietly. She is always glad to see him, but she didn't sound like it today. Billy thought, though, that it must have something to do with whatever was bothering her, not with him. He waited.
Jolena gave a big sigh.
"I just found out that my friend Elizabeth is moving away," she said finally. "She is on the Doll Ski Team with me, so I will see her again when we have a competition, but we won't be able to play together anymore."
"That is really sad," Billy agreed. "I'm lucky. Emil is my best friend, and he will never move away, or if he does, I'll go with him, because he's also my brother."
"It's nice to have brothers and sisters who stay with us," Jolena agreed. "I would hate to have to move away from all of you!"
"Do you at least have Elizabeth's phone number or email address?" Billy wanted to know.
"Yes," Jolena said. "I have both of those. I know I can write to her and even talk with her on the phone, but we can't play together."
"Yes, you can!" Billy exclaimed. "I mean, you can't wrestle with her or have a pillow fight with her, but you can play lots of other things with her."
Jolena looked up. "How is that possible?" she asked.
"You can have online play dates," Billy said. "You can use one of the special apps, like FaceTime or Skype," he added, pointing to where The Writer's laptop sat on a counter across the room.
"Please, Billy, show me how it works!" Jolena exclaimed.
"It's easy," Billy replied. "You call or email Elizabeth to set up a time to get together. Tell her which app you're using and make sure she knows how to use it," he explained.
"Then when the time comes, you call her using the app. It will connect to her app when she answers," he added. "Then you can play. If The Writer will let you use the iPad, you can set it up anywhere. You will see and hear her, and she will hear and see you!"
"That's a great idea!" Jolena exclaimed, looking much happier. "Now, what kinds of things could we play?"
"You're a good dancer," Billy said. "You could dance for her."
"Elizabeth is a good dancer, too," Jolena said. "We could dance for each other!"
"Great idea! Cards would be difficult," Billy went on. "You would both need a deck of cards with all the cards in the same order. I don't see how that could be done." He thought for a moment. "How about hangman?"
"I love that idea," Jolena said. "It would be easy to do. All we need is for each of us to have paper and pencil."
Jolena thought for a bit. "We have some Mad Libs," she said. "I could email her the link to the Mad Libs you can print, and we could take turns writing the words and reading the story!"
Jolena sent her friend Elizabeth an email, explaining what she wanted to do. They agreed on a time.
Jolena asked the Writer if she could use the iPad and promised to be very careful with it. Then Billy showed Jolena how to call Elizabeth using the app they had chosen to use. When he saw that she knew how to do it, and they had Elizabeth on the other end, he went to do boy things.
Jolena and Elizabeth visit online often now. One time Jolena taught Elizabeth how to make a quiche (KEESH), which is sort of an egg-and-cheese pie.
Then they cooked breaded fish in a pan.
They read a book together. The book was called "Little Women," which was the only book they both had, but it's a good book, and they enjoyed it. They took turns reading the chapters. After they finished each chapter, they talked about the story and wondered about what would happen next.
They played with the bear house that Jolena's family had. That was more difficult, because Elizabeth couldn't hold the bears or the furniture, but she told Jolena what she wanted to do with the bears and the furniture. They made up stories about what the bears were doing.
Sometimes they just talked. Elizabeth talked about her new school and new friends she was making. They talked about the school they used to go to together and the friends they both knew there. They talked about ski practice and the next competition, when they would see each other again in person.
Elizabeth's brother, Zachary, sometimes liked to say hello. He had things to talk about, too. He wanted to know about the friends he left behind.
They found out that they could do a lot of the same things they liked to do together when they could be in the same room.
They planned times when they could get together and play a couple of times a week. They were looking forward to when they could see each other for real, but they could still have fun together.
"Next time I see you for ski practice," Jolena said one day, "Let's have a pillow fight!"
Both girls giggled. They had never had a pillow fight before. It would be fun! In the meantime, they had lots of fun things they could do together, even from miles away!
Cast--
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Elizabeth: Götz Happy Kidz Marie
Zachary: Zachary Jr. of Wisconsin
Can you think of any other games you could play online with a friend you can't be with? (Be sure you get your parents' permission to play with friends online.)
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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
July 18, 2025
While the Cat's Away
All the other dolls rushed to meet her. Mariah was first, because she was in the upstairs hall when she heard Mandy's voice.
Jolena was second, because she found a fast way down the stairs.
"The delivery man let me out of the box on the porch," Mandy told them. "The ride home in a box wasn't as interesting as the flight to Ireland on a real plane."
Mandy gave each of the other dolls a hug, because she knew they like hugs.
Then she greeted Marmalade, who had heard her voice, too. "I missed you, Marmalade," Mandy told her cat.
The dogs, Pierre and Freckles, were happy to see Mandy.
Of course, Mandy knew Brownie would be happy to see her, too.
Even Cleo would be glad Mandy was home.
"The Writer and her husband will be home in another week," Mandy told the other dolls.
"We're alone!" Billy exclaimed! "What should we do?
"We could do some things we never do when The Writer is here," Emil said with a smile.
"Let's fill the tub with water and use it for a swimming pool!" Jolena suggested.
"We will get to wear our swim goggles," Mariah said.
"We could try on some of The Writer's clothes," Veronika said. "That's always fun."
"Remember when The Writer was out of the house," Jolena asked, "and we found her credit cards in her purse?"
"We bought a lot of things online," Charlotte said.
"The Writer wasn't very happy with us," Veronika pointed out. "She told us that if we needed something, we should ask, and she would buy it if it was OK for us to have it."
"Anyway," Mandy pointed out, "She has her credit cards with her this time."
"Why don't we have a tea party!" Mariah exclaimed. "We could invite the bears."
"All of that sounds like fun," Veronika said, "but I have a better idea."
All of the dolls wanted to know what Veronika's idea was.
"Let's clean the house again!" Veronika exclaimed. "That was so much fun when we did it before, and won't it be a nice surprise when The Writer gets home!"
The dolls thought about that.
It would be fun to swim in the bathtub.
It would be fun to try on The Writer's clothes.
It would be fun to buy things online if they had The Writer's credit card.
It would be fun to have a tea party and invite the bears.
The most fun, though, would be to see The Writer's face when she walked in and saw her clean house.
Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
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, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories 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/198325... my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Copyright © 2020, 2025 by Peggy Stuart
