Fanny (Fanny, 1)

All Fanny wants in the world is a Connie doll, but Mom says NO! But no one ever said she couldn't make one instead! With some scissors, glue, and her craft box in hand, Fanny sets out to replicate Connie, but it's Annabelle who is the result of her efforts. A little lopsided and a little unkempt, Annabelle turns out to be the companion Fanny has always wanted. Though at first her friends turn up their noses, in the end everyone learns that using your imagination and working with your own two hands can result in the best toy of all!

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3

Fanny, who wears eyeglasses, a headband, a tutu, leggings, and sneakers, is no ordinary girl. More than anything, she wants a high-fashion Connie doll. However, her mother does not like the way the doll looks, so Fanny is unlikely to get one. She attempts to resolve this situation by making her own rag doll, which she loves well enough until her friends make fun of it. Fanny persists by bringing it on a playdate. The Connie dolls are dressed as nurses while Annabelle is the surgeon operating on the sick stuffed animals. When the rag doll's proud owner gets home, she makes Annabelle something that every girl needs-her own doll. The soft watercolor illustrations show this protagonist to be an independent thinker as well as a talented seamstress. Sometimes not following the crowd can have unexpectedly wonderful results.-Linda Staskus, Parma Regional Library, OH