Home is the Sailor by Rumer Godden

Home is the Sailor by Rumer Godden and illustrated by Jean Primrose was first published in 1964. I counted just seven full page colour illustrations, but there are lots of black and white ones, all in a charming style.

This is the story of a doll’s house, its tiny doll inhabitants and the children who play with them. There are disasters and adventures, and a moaning character named Morello, supposedly the doll maid, she’s quite bitter about something, just like the cherry of her name. Mrs Lewis is another servant, she’s a Welsh doll, made of celluloid so when she heats up she crackles almost like she is laughing.

Mrs Raleigh is the mother doll, there’s her daughter Dora, twin girls called Opal and Pearl, a boy called Curly the sailor doll and Bundle the ‘long clothes’ baby. The disaster is that the doll husband Captain Raleigh has gone, no fault of his own. Miss Charlotte is the doll governess and the children were planning a wedding for her with the doll Thomas, but another disaster befell him, so Charlotte is distraught.

This is a lovely book with the lives of the dolls and the real children intertwining. When Bertrand a young French boy arrives to stay with the family he has a lot to learn. His own parents had sent him to England hoping that the experience would cure him of his know-it-all arrogance and surprisingly it does when he ends up having Curly the sailor doll as his mascot.

Rumer Godden wrote several children’s books featuring dolls and doll houses, she was very much in touch with the lives and thoughts of youngsters.  This was a lovely relaxing read, for children of all ages. Thank you for letting me know about it Wilhelmina.

 

Little Plum by Rumer Godden

Little Plum cover

Little Plum by Rumer Godden was first published in 1963 but my copy is a 1975 reprint by Puffin books.

This is a lovely relaxing read, especially if you want to get away from the depressing TV news.

At just 135 pages long and aimed at readers aged seven and over (I’m very much over!!) the story features two Japanese dolls called Miss Happiness and Miss Flower. The dolls had been sent by Great-Aunt Lucy as a Christmas present to Nona who had lived in India until recently when she had been sent to live with her Fell cousins and their parents in England. The dolls had helped Nona settle into her new life, where she shared a bedroom with her cousin Belinda.

They were fascinated by the very large house next door which has been very grand but it had been empty and for sale for years so looks neglected and dirty. When a sold sign appears and builders arrive to renovate the house they’re agog.

Belinda is particularly fascinated by Gem, a girl about her own age. Gem is very different, mainy because she is being looked after by her very strict aunt while her mother is in hospital. Gem doesn’t know how to play – unless it’s her piano. When Belinda spies another Japanese doll in Gem’s bedroom she’s outraged that Gem doesn’t play with the doll or look after her. Belinda begins a campaign against Gem, really trying to get her attention. This involves mad escapades from Belinda which put her in real danger, not that at her age she really recognises that. She’s quite a wee girl!

The book is illustrated by Jean Primrose, just pencil drawings but they’re charming.