My Doll Is Lost!

by Dan Elliott, Joe Mathieu (Illustrator)

When he and his doll are invited to Bert and Ernie's party, Herry Monster discovers his doll is missing.

Genres: Childrens

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Francesca Rae]

This is my favorite book from my childhood. :)

[Madeline Miranda]

This is the cutest little book, I think what I admire most about alot of the classic Sesame Street books is that the art is just so beautiful ugh!!

[Valerie]

This is essentially a nonmusical version of the song "That's Not Homer", with dolls standing in for pets.

I've commented before that these 'start-to-read' books too greatly compromise the zany poker-faced humor of Herry Monster. The character who once proposed to uproot a mailbox to deliver a get-well-card to a sick friend faster is almost entirely lost here...drowned in treacle, which is a liquor best taken in moderation.

There's also a matter of language. I'm not sure where the idea that beginning readers should not be exposed to big words and complex sentences arose--but it results in unpleasant, patronizing, and stilted prose.

One of the best things about Sesame Street was that it did NOT talk down to people. It's unfortunate that the rot has crept in--starting with books like this, and now extending, far too much, to the show itself.

[Stacy]

Herry Monster accidentally loses his doll right before he is invited to a doll tea party at Bert and Ernie's. His friends try to help him find his doll, and it is Oscar the Grouch who ends up being the one to find it. We see that each Sesame Street friend has a different type of doll and Herry's is fun because his doll looks like him.

[Melissa Posten]

Not my favorite of the 1980s Sesame Street books, but certainly far from the worst. Bonus points for featuring Herry as the main character, even if he is a total whiner here.

[Despina]

Then Cookie gave Harry a cookie. "Cookie make you happy", he said.