Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll written by Susan Goldman Rubin and illustrated by Sarah Dvojack tells the story of Beatrice Alexander’s creative life in the world of doll making. It starts in New York City’s Lower East Side where Beatrice was born in 1895 and where her father established the first doll hospital in the country! Most dolls at that time were made of glass or china and broke often. Wealthy families brought their children’s broken dolls to be fixed at the Doll Hospital.
Beatrice was fascinated with the process of restoration. A marvelous illustration shows young Beatrice watching her father restore a broken doll in a workroom full of dolls, wigs, arms, legs, glue, brushes, and paint. After that experience she became devoted to doll making. “Beatrice learned from her father that dolls were more than just toys. They gave children comfort, like special friends.”
When the War started there were no materials available to fix dolls. The Doll Hospital nearly closed until Beatrice had the brilliant idea to design a Nurse Doll dressed just like the nurses helping in the War. It was a hit and was the first of many dolls she would design, such as the Alice Adventure dolls and the Little Women dolls.
The illustration of her taking her Baby Doll to the head of FAO Schwarz Toy Store to see if he would sell them is beautifully drawn. When he unwrapped the doll, his smile answered her question. The back material tells the reader that by 1957 Beatrice ran three doll factories and by the 1980’s her doll company was turning out a million dolls per year!
Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll will delight readers 5-9 years of age as well as grandmothers who may have owned one of these gorgeous dolls during their childhood days (Feiwel and Friends/ an imprint of Macmillan), 2022.
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Activity Questions for Madame Alexander: The Creator of the Iconic American Doll
Take a long look at the beautiful front cover of this book. How does it make you feel? How do you think Beatrice feels about the doll at which she is looking? If you were to give this picture a title, what would it be?
Do you have a favorite illustration in this book? What draws you to it?
Do you enjoy working with your hands to produce something as Beatrice certainly did? Draw a picture of yourself working with your hands-----perhaps building a snowman, planting flowers, building a model airplane, knitting a scarf, coloring a picture in a coloring book or
making cookies with Mom and decorating them. How does it feel to make something useful or beautiful or fun with your own hands? Give it some thought.
Questions: What were Beatrice’s favorite classes in school? Why was she not able to go to Paris to study sculpting? Why was there a time when there were no materials available to make dolls? Why did Beatrice decide to make The Nurse doll?
