Doll Baby

by Eve Bunting, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

When Ellie was a little girl, she had a doll named Daisy. She loved to dress her and give her a bottle. Now Ellie is fifteen, and she has a real baby to love. But a baby is not a doll. Taking care of Angelica isn’t anything like taking care of Daisy. In fact, it’s harder than Ellie ever could have imagined. In Doll Baby, Eve Bunting warmly but honestly portrays the truth about teenage pregnancy and motherhood, addressing all the joy and anguish, love and loss that accompany it.

Genres: Fiction

47 pages, Hardcover

First published August 21, 2000

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie is fifteen. She always loved taking care of her doll when she was little, but now she has a baby and discovers that it’s a lot harder taking care of a baby than a doll.

A great short picture book. The topic is a very important one (teen pregnancy), and the pictures are the perfect complement and further the story. The shortness of the book, as well as the pictures, will attract readers. It’s a very brief story, without too much depth, but serves its purpose in relating how tough it is to be a single mother.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on the shelf today and decided to see what it was about. It was a quick read, only 48 pages, but definitely should be a teen book, just because of the content. Ellie is a 15 year old that gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. It simply points out the struggles and difficulties of having a baby as a teen without creating a long drama. This is a good book for middle school girls to read.

[Michelle Garcia :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book show us not to get pregnant that age 15 and that boy lie for them not to take care of the baby

[Kyla Schooling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick little book written in 2000. Fifteen year old Ellie becomes pregnant and has to deal with disappointing her parents and not fitting in anywhere anymore. Bunting shows the unglamorous side of teen motherhood but does so in a gentle way. Ellie misses her life but never blames the dear little baby that she is now responsible for. The story is sad yet sweet. The book probably won't prevent any teen pregnancies but serves more as a glimpse into the life of a girl that finds her self pregnant.

[Hippiemouse420]

So, who is the intended audience for a picture book about teen pregnancy?

I am a fan of Eve Bunting's "blunt style" and I wasn't offended by the book; it was an honest and forthright portrayal. I'm just genuinely curious about who would buy this. Is it for the younger siblings of a teen mom? The children of a teen mom? So confusing.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on the shelf and I wasn't crazy about it. It is a short book to read so read it in 30 minutes. I am sure some women have experience what this character was going through but I felt it was a little over the top for me. As a teen mom I didn't really relate to it. My opinion of course.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, I'm not sure of the audience, except maybe very low level high school readers. It reads almost like a picture book with only a few sentences at most on each page and very low level vocabulary and simple sentences. Girl gets pregnant and keeps her baby, this story shows the effect this has on both her (being in high school) and her family (since mom has to take care of it while she is in school).

Very reluctant readers with low reading ability might enjoy it.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A middle school must read about the difficulties of teen pregnancy. Bunting is very compassionate and non-judgmental, yet she speaks with authenticity because she was writing to her own family members.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but powerful book about teenage pregnancy.

[Deisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book first, but it sound really good but i do not know if i like it

[Mrs. Cowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic portrayal of some of the sacrifices and challenges of teen pregnancy.