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Racketty-Packetty House, as Told by Queen Crosspatch
"The Racketty-Packetty House" is the story of a charming old-fashioned doll family, dolls so delightful that the fairy queen and her fairies love to visit, and of their adventures when their dilapidated ...
44 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
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881 people want to read
About the author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1,727 books4,816 followersFrances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911).
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 10, 2020
A humorous tale that I would have loved as a child. This brings meaning to the old saying, 'One person's trash is another person's treasure.'
... The house itself is a perfect sight,
And everybody's dressed like a perfect fright,
But no one cares a single jot
And each one giggles over his lot ...
I can't make up another verse,
And if I did it would be worse ...
At the very least, I hope a child would come away with an appreciation of things that are old and used, perhaps even battered.
I read the 100th anniversary edition with art by Wendy Halperin. Her art has a joyful feeling that supports the story. I wonder if the original edition were illustrated so well and if I would have enjoyed the story as much if illustrated by a different artist.
... The house itself is a perfect sight,
And everybody's dressed like a perfect fright,
But no one cares a single jot
And each one giggles over his lot ...
I can't make up another verse,
And if I did it would be worse ...
At the very least, I hope a child would come away with an appreciation of things that are old and used, perhaps even battered.
I read the 100th anniversary edition with art by Wendy Halperin. Her art has a joyful feeling that supports the story. I wonder if the original edition were illustrated so well and if I would have enjoyed the story as much if illustrated by a different artist.
July 19, 2017
A fine book about fine people, er dolls. The fun kind that all the fairies want to hang out with. And also some snooty ones wearing labelled clothing (branding themselves voluntarily, the sillies) who are not fun. Quite uptight social wannabes.
i think Rackety-Packety House may have been the site of the very first, very carefully held, tiny Burning Man. That fun.
i love love this book
i think Rackety-Packety House may have been the site of the very first, very carefully held, tiny Burning Man. That fun.
i love love this book
January 8, 2020
Beautiful book that encourages the love of dolls. Sweet story!
February 21, 2014
MAGNIFICENT! This book is a dose of happiness for the world, and I cannot believe how it has been forgotten by time. In the same way that "Wind in the Willows" shows us we should accept our friends and their flaws, this book shows that everything works to the good once we realize that nothing good comes of whining. There's an over-arching narrator to the tale, the Fairy Queen who knows all and only intermittently directs the action when she has to, and the WONDERFUL inhabitants of Racketty-Packetty House who are not jealous when a new Tidy Castle takes their owner's attention off them for a time. It's a 1906 version of Toy Story with a happy ending and lots of uplifting enjoyment. This book is perfect for kids 5-9 and for adults who want to remember what it's like to have a rosy outlook on life.
June 8, 2020
Lovely book..
Jolly good little read about dolls, dollhouses, fairies and a little touch of magic. A nice bedtime story for children.
Jolly good little read about dolls, dollhouses, fairies and a little touch of magic. A nice bedtime story for children.
June 24, 2021
When I was little, I used to imagine that my dolls came to life while I slept or when I left the room. In fact, sometimes they seemed to be in different places than where I left them. My dolls, like the Racketty-Packetty dolls, were fun and sweet. This is a refreshing short story by the author of Little Lord Fauntleroy and also The Secret Garden. It belongs to a much simpler time, when girls played with dolls and used their imaginations.
August 14, 2023
Read it aloud to my little siblings. Quite cheerful.
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September 29, 2013Originally published in 1906, this is a charming, classic story (by the author of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden) of two dollhouses and their inhabitants and the little girl who is their careless and untidy owner. With the advent of the new, modern Tidy Castle and its inhabitants, the old-fashioned hand-me-down dollhouse and family gets dubbed Racketty-Packetty, and moved to an out-of-the-way corner of the nursery and ignored. But the old doll family continues to live life to the fullest, in a jolly, happy fashion. And then their world is threatened as they learn that their little owner intends to burn their house, and only the fairy queen Crosspatch, who loves them and visits the happy family often, can save them. (The story is narrated by Queen Crosspatch.) My girls are enchanted by this story that contains timeless lessons about life.
We have the version illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, and my older girls pore over the illustrations constantly, as well as re-reading it. (The cover for the one illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin is not very appealing, but the internal illustrations are lovely.)
We have the version illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, and my older girls pore over the illustrations constantly, as well as re-reading it. (The cover for the one illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin is not very appealing, but the internal illustrations are lovely.)
September 29, 2022
A lovely little story, told from the perspective of the fairy Queen Crosspatch, about a neglected set of dolls who are full of humor and fun. I wished for a little more character development, but they are dolls after all. The language is really wonderful and this would make a great read-aloud, with lots of room for funny voices. Halperin's illustrations capture the tone of the narrative very well, and every page is charming.
March 29, 2014
I could feel the wind blows in The Secret Garden, I could smell the fresh bread in Little Princess, I could (almost) see from the other side of an arm chair in Racketty-Packetty House. Not as vivid as the other 2 books, but I finished its Gutenberg with a huge desire to own this lovely red edition.
July 31, 2020
Nobody can highlight goodness without being preachy like Frances Hodgson Burnett. This was the most delightful story about two doll houses and their occupants. The sepia toned illustrations by Halperin just added magic to the charm. You have never met dolls with such cheer, optimism, sympathy and general good will. I read it aloud to 7 and 10 yo girls and they were equally spellbound as I was. I loved everything about this book.
December 15, 2022
Not one of Burnett's best books, but still a very fun and charming read.
There are themes of being humble, cheerful, etc. as well as a slightly more antiquated but still sweet romance blossoming between 'class divides'.
The Simon & Schuster 100th anniversary edition has MANY typos, that I cannot recommend it.
There are themes of being humble, cheerful, etc. as well as a slightly more antiquated but still sweet romance blossoming between 'class divides'.
The Simon & Schuster 100th anniversary edition has MANY typos, that I cannot recommend it.
September 4, 2020
Sweet story about being happy with what you are and what you have. Great book to talk about joy and who is important and why with younger kids!
April 24, 2020
I like the concept of dolls coming to life, but the execution was a tad boring.
April 24, 2014
I suppose I'm rounding up -- in a way. I was delighted to find this book, and enjoyed it as much as I did, largely because of its connection to one of my favorite children's books, A Little Princess. In that book, born storyteller Sara Crewe tells another child about her fancy that dolls, when we aren't watching them, move about and live active little lives, only to rush back to their chairs just before we come back into the room. For all these years, I never realized that Burnett had written an entire book -- if a short book, for younger children -- based on this idea.
The book itself is a light and pleasant morsel, with pleasing characters, an unsurprising and unobjectionable moral, and a sprinkling of piquant detail. In itself, it's not especially memorable -- but it's worth reading as a sort of tribute to Sara Crewe, a far more enduring character.
The book itself is a light and pleasant morsel, with pleasing characters, an unsurprising and unobjectionable moral, and a sprinkling of piquant detail. In itself, it's not especially memorable -- but it's worth reading as a sort of tribute to Sara Crewe, a far more enduring character.
April 4, 2011
I read this book aloud to my 6- and 8-year-old girls. It begins with a letter from the narrator, the fairy Queen Crosspatch: "Now this is the story about the doll family I liked and the doll family I didn't." It's a charming story about 2 dollhouses and the "families" that inhabit them. Tidy Castle is full of wealthy, well-dressed, high-bred, haughty dolls with lots of servants. Racketty-Packetty house is in the bad neighborhood behind an armchair and is full of poor, ragged, jolly dolls.
We enjoyed reading about what these dolls do when their little girl Cynthia was out of the room (a la Toy Story, I suppose) and how happy, kind-hearted people really have better lives, even if their houses aren't so nice.
We enjoyed reading about what these dolls do when their little girl Cynthia was out of the room (a la Toy Story, I suppose) and how happy, kind-hearted people really have better lives, even if their houses aren't so nice.
December 23, 2024
I'm actually not a huge fan of Burnett's other more popular works, but she hits the ball out of the park with this one! Adorable novella about two families of dolls - one poor and neglected but happy, the other rich and admired but terribly snooty, and a passel of fairies that play a role in saving the neglected dolls. Sweet (but not saccharine), lively and not a little witty, this is a book pretty much forgotten by mainstream children's literature, which is a shame. A childhood isn't complete without at least one reading of this tale!
May 24, 2011
Read with my eight-year-old daughter. A lovely moral teaching us not to judge others based on their appearance nor neighborhood. Could be interpreted as sappy, but my daughter only found it delightful.
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
I feel especially fortunate as this was a difficult book to locate. I happened upon a used copy on Amazon and when it arrived it was in beautiful condition and had been signed by the illustrator!
December 25, 2012
This is one of those childhood books I always remembered, not the title, just the story of a neglected dollhouse and the wonderful dolls within it. Then I was browsing Amazon and there it was. I ordered it to read on Christmas and it was as wonderful as I remember.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
It was worth reading again. I always missed it a little. I enchanted me just as it did when I was a child. This is a childrens tale I would recommend to all. After all it has stayed in print for over one hundred years.
October 15, 2014
It's fun to read a children's book now and then, especially if it's a gem like this one! I love Frances Hodgson Burnett, so I was intrigued by this book, which I had not heard of before. It's about two dollhouses and their inhabitants, as well as the fairies who save the day. What more could you ask for? The charming illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin, added to this 100th Anniversary Edition. Perfect!
April 23, 2010
This book was delightful and I enjoyed reading it to my older girls. I love any books about toys and dolls who come to life when people aren't around. I LOVE dollhouses..so it was delightful. Since this book was first published around 1906....I did have to go to the dictionary to check out some of the vocabulary!
just a delight!
just a delight!
August 10, 2011
I have an ancient copy of this book that I got from my grandmother. It's a charming story, and I have many fond memories of reading (and re-reading) this as a child. Of course I was also the kind of girl who adored the Oz series and A Little Princess, so it may be less attractive to a newer generation.
May 10, 2017
A very fun little story about dolls and fairies!!
August 29, 2019
Over a century old, this short book about two very different dollhouses is as captivating as when it was first written. Little dollhouses as artfully constructed as these aren’t currently the fashion among children’s toys. You can still find them but when are they ever as celebrated as the rundown Racketty-Packetty House or the posh Tidy Castle with its snooty upperclass inhabitants with which the fickle Cynthia replaces them?
The dolls come alive when the humans aren’t about and the denizens of the ramshackle one enjoy themselves immensely with dancing and frolicking (when they aren’t worried about their house getting burnt in the basement). Enterprising and loving fairies do their best to prevent the house’s destruction and their presence is as acceptable as Peter Pan’s invasion of the Darling household—even if Cynthia never sees them.
A child will be drawn in by the RP house characters, especially a messy child who clings to ancient toys even after they are ragged and worn. By the time the princess appears to show Cynthia the value of cherished, old things, we are thoroughly on the side of Ridiklis, Meg, Peg and all the other re-named dolls and want more than anything for them to be saved from a fiery fate.
The book is charming, the characters are silly yet kind and the illustrations of the various dolls are sweetly rendered in pale violet, accompanying the text in large spreads or small inserts in the story.
The dolls come alive when the humans aren’t about and the denizens of the ramshackle one enjoy themselves immensely with dancing and frolicking (when they aren’t worried about their house getting burnt in the basement). Enterprising and loving fairies do their best to prevent the house’s destruction and their presence is as acceptable as Peter Pan’s invasion of the Darling household—even if Cynthia never sees them.
A child will be drawn in by the RP house characters, especially a messy child who clings to ancient toys even after they are ragged and worn. By the time the princess appears to show Cynthia the value of cherished, old things, we are thoroughly on the side of Ridiklis, Meg, Peg and all the other re-named dolls and want more than anything for them to be saved from a fiery fate.
The book is charming, the characters are silly yet kind and the illustrations of the various dolls are sweetly rendered in pale violet, accompanying the text in large spreads or small inserts in the story.
May 10, 2018
This is the story of two doll houses, Racketty Packetty House and Tidy Castle. When Cynthia receives a brand new dollhouse, Racketty Packetty house and its shabby dolls are pushed aside and forgotten. But no matter how neglected and rundown the dollhouse becomes, the dolls inside stay cheerful and have fun in their own charming way.
I remember reading this little story when I was younger, when I loved reading books about toys that came to life. It's just as delightful and funny as it was back then, with a moral at its heart that has stood the test of time. It would be perfect for a bedtime story for little ones, or to read yourself to bring back a simpler time.
I really enjoyed the performance. The narrator did a great job with the dolls' voices and brought a lot of personality to the story. This story, with its playful prose and rhyming names, should really be read out loud, and the narrator brought it to life.
I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
I remember reading this little story when I was younger, when I loved reading books about toys that came to life. It's just as delightful and funny as it was back then, with a moral at its heart that has stood the test of time. It would be perfect for a bedtime story for little ones, or to read yourself to bring back a simpler time.
I really enjoyed the performance. The narrator did a great job with the dolls' voices and brought a lot of personality to the story. This story, with its playful prose and rhyming names, should really be read out loud, and the narrator brought it to life.
I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
July 22, 2018
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - read by KAREN KRAUSE
A cute story for kids and adults. The audible summary says it all, so I don’t need to expand, or else I’ll end up giving the rest of the story away.
This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator (Karen Krause) and I would listen to another. Her use of different voices was appropriate, and she expressed the emotions and attitude of the characters nicely.
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
A cute story for kids and adults. The audible summary says it all, so I don’t need to expand, or else I’ll end up giving the rest of the story away.
This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator (Karen Krause) and I would listen to another. Her use of different voices was appropriate, and she expressed the emotions and attitude of the characters nicely.
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
September 3, 2019
Tender stories to think upon. Some extremely sad, some teaching morals like looking on the bright side.or that living with riches is not always the pleasant dream one would think.
The narrators were brilliant! They were able to set the scene for the stories they read.
In the second story, I was sobbing after just a short while. The gentleman who read had just the right expression. The reader that most impressed was the lady who read about the newly rich poor folk in Paris. How wonderfully she spoke the accented English, telling the tale from the point of view of the Parisian who taught English. And just as special was her North Carolina accent. She really brought the story to life.
The narrators were brilliant! They were able to set the scene for the stories they read.
In the second story, I was sobbing after just a short while. The gentleman who read had just the right expression. The reader that most impressed was the lady who read about the newly rich poor folk in Paris. How wonderfully she spoke the accented English, telling the tale from the point of view of the Parisian who taught English. And just as special was her North Carolina accent. She really brought the story to life.
November 30, 2019
I read this book electronically (found on Google Play, without illustrations) and I felt it suffered from that when I went online and researched the original pictures. If you can spare the money and the bookshelf space buy a copy with the original illustrations. This is a nice juvenile (early chapter book - novella length) and I make the argument that it influenced two arguably more famous children's stories in the blog post review I did which can be found at: https://pams-pictorama.com/2019/11/30... Other reviews of Frances Hodgson Burnett (at the writing of this mostly her adult fiction) can be found by searching my blog site at Pams-Pictorama.com.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
July 27, 2017
My children really enjoyed me reading this aloud at bedtime. I found it a little repetitive; it seems like every chapter ends with "joining hands together in a ring and dancing round and round and round and kicking up their heels and laughing until they tumbled down in a heap." I much prefer the author's other longer and more complex children's books, such as The Secret Garden. But this book is meant for younger children and has a good message about staying positive and taking care of your toys, not just getting the next great thing.
November 14, 2018
I absolutely loved this book as a child. I pretty much loved anything that had a dollhouse in it! My father built me the most amazing doll house when I was about ten, and I have it to this day. Illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin brought Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic to life. A tale of two dollhouses, one shabby and one a brand-new grandiose house with dolls to match.
I love re-reading favorite stories from my childhoods when I'm overwhelmed with the intense historical fiction I also love. A fabulous story for all ages.
Must buy.
I love re-reading favorite stories from my childhoods when I'm overwhelmed with the intense historical fiction I also love. A fabulous story for all ages.
Must buy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews