Tuesday , March 19 2024
Ghost Doll and Jasper is a lavishly illustrated, suspenseful, and satisfying tale for children of all ages.

Book Review: Ghost Doll and Jasper by Fiona MacDonald

Ghost Doll and Jasper by Fiona MacDonald begins when a bit of stardust falls on an old doll with a tattered dress who has been abandoned for many years in a house about to be demolished. Suddenly, the doll awakens and discovers that she is now both a doll and a ghost! Soon she becomes aware that she is not alone. There is a battle-wounded and scarred cat in the house,too, whose name is Jasper. Together, Jasper and the Ghost Doll search for a safe place for her to stay.

But the world is very different from the one that the doll fell asleep in long ago when her little girl went away. Everything is strange and frightening. When she finds shelter in a toy store, she cannot understand or get along with the fashion dolls and mechanical toys. And there is another danger threatening not only Jasper and the doll but much more, as the evil megalomaniac Dr. Bosch seeks the stardust in Ghost Doll for his own evil purposes. He agrees to turn ordinary rats into super rats, if they will help him discover where she is. Can Ghost Doll find the courage to stand up for herself, and can she and Jasper, and Jasper’s other cat friends (and even enemies) defeat Dr. Bosch and the rats and find a place to call home?

Ghost Doll and Jasper is both charming and suspenseful. It is liberally illustrated with vivid and evocative black and white drawings. It is perfect for children aged six to 12, and adults who still enjoy reading books with a bit of childlike wonder to them.

Fiona MacDonald is not only a writer and illustrator of picture books but a maker of painted cloth dolls as well, and her love for simple dolls without batteries or chips shines through in Ghost Doll.

Altogether,Ghost Doll and Jasper will thrill and satisfy children of all ages, and many adults as well.

About Rhetta Akamatsu

I am an author of non-fiction books and an online journalist. My books include Haunted Marietta, The Irish Slaves, T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: Blues Women Past and Present, Southern Crossroads: Georgia Bluesand Sex Sells: Women in Photography and Film.

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