Flicka, Ricka, Dicka, and the New Dotted Dresses

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka

by Maj Lindman

Three little girls get their new red dresses all dirty while helping an old woman with her chores.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Sweden

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Maj Lindman (Mrs. Maj Lindman-Hulten) lived in Stockholm, Sweden. She attended the Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm, and also studied art in Paris, France. She wrote and illustrated numerous children's books, but she is best known for her delightful tales of triplet girls Flicka, Dicka and Ricka and their boy counterparts, Snipp, Snapp and Snurr.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seen as old-fashioned now, but each of these stories teaches good morals. The New Dotted Dresses emphasizes helping others to make the load lighter and caring for possessions.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Maj Lindman's books. In this story, the three girls eagerly wear the lovely new dresses Mother has just finished making for them. They go outside and Mother reminds them to keep their dresses clean... but when the girls meet a little old woman in need of help with her heavy load, they remember Mother has always told them to be helpful to others. Risking smudges on their dresses they carry the old woman's burden for her back to her farmhouse... then the lure of the farm animals is so great, and the woman's need of rest so apparent, that the girls soon help out with the farm chores. (I love that these are healthy, active girls enjoying fresh air and physical activity.) Of course, the dresses get dirty but Mother is understanding when the girls explain the reason why. I love Mother's practical advice when the girls suggest going back to help at the farm again: yes, they must always be helpful to others... but that next time maybe they could wear their overalls ;-)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now these are strong girls. They're not tomboys, they don't kick a**, it's just that they're not afraid of hard work. Helping people is more important than pretty clothes. The kitten book in the series didn't impress me, but after reading this one I do wish I could find more of them.

I love Swedish children's literature!

[Jill Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Checked this out of the library continuously when I was a little girl.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another set of books I found at the Beech Grove Indiana Library as a child and just loved them.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While out playing in their new dotted dresses*, the girls encounter an ancient hag elderly woman who is living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth that they help by carrying her sticks to her cottage in the deepest part of the forest where no one can hear them scream. Once again, the girls' senses of preservation continue to be non-existent. Also, "Aunt Helma"** has a cow named Masie. Either Masie is a super popular farm animal name in Sweden or Maj really liked that name. And as far as fusspot Dicka goes..."Over the fence climbed Dicka, still crying."

Moral of the story: Always wear the proper attire when chasing pigs, hopping fences, or drinking milk.


*The same picture is used to illustrate this as in Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Strawberries, except that the caption says that Ricka is trying to catch a butterfly. #lazyillustrator This has in no way changed my opinion that Mary is a shapeshifter, though.

**Why is someone they call Aunt or Uncle NEVER their actual aunt or uncle?

[Cookie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites from childhood. I loved all the Maj Lindman books, and this one was the best! I now own the reprints of several Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Snipp, Snapp, Snurr books, never dreaming that one day one of my own sisters would give birth to naturally occurring triplets! My family does lots of twins. Li took things a bit further.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read this book at my mom’s home town library where she grew up. She had also read the Flicka books when she was young. They are timeless. A little dated, but classic, these books encourage love, generosity, honesty, helpfulness, and responsibility.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister & I had to get matching dresses too. ha

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

New dresses and a lesson in helping others!

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended [return][return]A step back in time with this re-published book. The original title was first published in 1946 and it was re-released in 2012. Three Swedish triplets are off to play wearing their new red, polka dotted dresses. Their mother warns them to be careful and to try to stay clean. As they were playing, they ran into an old lady who needed help with her chores. Flick, Ricka and Dicka got all the chores done, but they got quite dirty in the process. They were worried that their mother would be very mad, but she told them that being helpful was more important then being worried about their dresses. The next morning they washed and mended their dresses and they were just like new.[return]This is a cute story that can teach children to help older people. As in the other books in this series, the illustrations seem to be the original watercolors from the previously published books. The pictures look old fashioned, but in a good way. The old lady looked a little bit like a witch first, but readers will quickly realize that she is a nice old woman.[return]There is nothing objectionable in this book. It is appropriate for a school library. It would also be a great example of helping when doing character education lessons. It would be a good choice for individual reading selections for SSR or DEAR times. It would also make for a cute spring or summer themed book display in the elementary library.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gals are sporting new red dresses but will they be able to keep those dresses nice and clean???

Accidentally ordered this one again, but who cares because it was wonderful!!! Overalls!!!!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a very vague memory from my early childhood of visiting the public library in my hometown and borrowing some of the books in the Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka series. I have no idea whether this title was one of the ones I borrowed back then or not, but it still gave me a faint sense of nostalgia as I was reading. The text is very straightforward, with simple sentence structures and more telling than showing. Because of the simplicity of the writing, I kept thinking that this book could easily serve the same purpose as an easy reader. I like that the three girls are portrayed as independent, resourceful, and helpful, and that they unselfishly drop everything to help an old woman simply because they have been taught to make themselves useful. I also appreciated that, unlike the kittens who soil their mittens in the nursery rhyme, the girls are not punished for dirtying their dresses. Their mother is not pleased by the situation, but instead of getting angry, she and the girls simply work together to mend the dresses and get on with their lives. I think Miss Muffet would enjoy this series - Ill have to give them a try sometime soon.

[Sarai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The triplets are given brand new dresses and go out to play. They see an old woman carrying a bundle of sticks and go to help her, eventually working with cows and pigs and getting their new dresses very dirty and torn. Their mother is pleased that they remembered to help someone who needed it and does not chastise them for their dresses and the next day they wash them and wear overalls to go help the old woman.

It is a changed world, I think, because my first thought was that the old woman looked like the witch who lured the children into her oven. And then that they really should not be going to a stranger's house. Not sure how good of a story this would be to read to a youngster today.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series when I was young...they are about three blonde-haired, blue-eyed sisters in Sweden who have minor exploits that end happily. In this story, the girls are given new red dresses and told not to dirty them...as you may predict, the dresses do, in fact, get dirty and ripped throughout their day.

These are definitely "throwback" books, but I am glad they are still being printed--they are simple stories about three young girls that harken back to a different era.

[Laura JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, I loved this series of books about the Swedish triplets. They all have good moral lessons too - this one about helping others.
I bought a copy recently to keep. It's soft-cover and smaller format, printed in China - not like the larger hard-cover books I remember borrowing from the library as a youngster.

[Miss Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why are all these animals in Sweden named Maisie? First the red hen and now lady-in-wood's cow.

Their mum is very understanding about the soiled condition of their new dresses. Then again, the girls themselves clean, mend and wash them.

Lesson of the day: It is important to always help others! Whenever possible, wear appropriate clothing.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy cow! That was almost 50 years ago!!!!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were favorite books of mine in second grade.

[Mandy E · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the old woman first appeared in the story, I thought she was going to be a witch come to entice the girls to dress-spoiling mischief, but alas.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second favorite Flicka, Ricka, Dicka book. I read this book when I was little. I remember the vivid illustrations. It's too bad the girls had to muss up their pretty new dresses!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lesson on the importance of people over possessions, of kindness and service, and on responsibility. I loved that the girls mended and cleaned their own dresses after tearing and soiling them.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this last night to my baby.She said, "This story was good, I can't wait to read this again!"