
A parent would reach for this book when their child is grappling with the sadness and jealousy that follows a best friend moving away. It tells the story of Katharine, whose best friend Molly moves to a new town. To cope with her loneliness, Katharine is given a doll that looks just like her. The doll becomes an outlet for all her complicated feelings, especially when Molly comes back for a visit with a new friend in tow. Through the dolls' interactions, Katharine is able to act out her anger and hurt, ultimately finding a way to reconnect with Molly. For ages 4 to 7, this book is a gentle and insightful tool for normalizing difficult emotions like jealousy and showing children that friendships can survive change and distance.
The book deals with the emotional distress of a friendship changing due to a move. The approach is realistic and secular. It directly addresses feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and anger. The resolution is hopeful, affirming that friendships can navigate difficult transitions and hurt feelings.
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Sign in to write a reviewThis book is perfect for a 5 to 7 year old child whose close friend has recently moved away or is about to move. It's also highly effective for a child who is feeling left out or replaced within a friendship group and is struggling to name or manage feelings of jealousy.
The book can be read cold, but a parent should be prepared for the scene where Katharine uses her doll to be mean. This is the pivotal moment. It's a great opportunity to pause and talk about why Katharine (and Charlotte) might be acting that way. Preview the pages depicting the tense doll interaction to be ready for the conversation. A parent might pick up this book after hearing their child say, "I have no one to play with now that Maya's gone," or after witnessing a child act out in frustration after seeing their old friend with new friends on social media or during a visit.
A younger child (4-5) will connect with the surface-level sadness of missing a friend and the idea of playing with a special doll. An older child (6-7) will better understand the sophisticated emotional dynamics, particularly grasping the concept of the doll as a vehicle for Katharine's jealousy and how pretend play can help solve real problems.
Unlike many books about moving that focus only on the sadness of departure, this story's unique strength is its focus on the next, more complicated phase: what happens when the friendship is tested by new people and distance. The use of the doll as a psychological tool for the child to express "unacceptable" feelings of anger and jealousy is a masterful and gentle way to make these complex emotions understandable and manageable for a young audience.
Katharine's best friend, Molly, moves away, leaving Katharine lonely. Her parents give her a doll, Charlotte, who looks just like her. Katharine uses the doll to process her sadness. When Molly returns for a visit, she brings a new friend, Jean, and a new doll. Overwhelmed by jealousy, Katharine acts out her anger through her doll, making Charlotte behave rudely to Molly's doll. The conflict between the dolls allows the girls to confront their feelings, leading to a gentle reconciliation and the understanding that their friendship can endure the change.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.