The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Look inside
Hardcover
$17.99 US
9.88"W x 11.25"H x 0.38"D  
On sale Sep 11, 2007 | 40 Pages | 978-0-375-83759-3
| Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD650L | Fountas & Pinnell O
Newbery Honor–winning author McKissack and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Pinkney have outdone themselves in this heart-warming picture book infused with humor and the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas always comes to Nella’s house, but Santa Claus brings gifts only once in a while. That’s because it’s the Depression and Nella’s family is poor. Even so, Nella’s hoping that this year she and her two sisters will get a beautiful Baby Betty doll.

On Christmas morning, the girls are beside themselves with excitement! There is Baby Betty, in all her eyelash-fluttering magnificence. “Mine!” Nella shouts, and claims the doll for herself. But soon she discovers that Baby Betty isn’t nearly as much fun as her sisters. Would it be more fun to share this very best gift with them after all?
PATRICIA MCKISSACK is one of the most acclaimed authors writing for children today. She has written many award-winning books, including Never Forgotten, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; Porch Lies, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book; The Dark Thirty, a Newbery Honor Book; Let My People Go, recipient of the NAACP Image Award; and Mirandy and Brother Wind, a Caldecott Honor Book. Her other books include The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, Goin' Someplace Special, and Precious and the Boo Hag. Patricia and her husband, Frederick McKissack, are the recipients of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

LEO and DIANE DILLON have illustrated over 60 books for children and have received just about every honor and award imaginable. They are the winners of two Caldecott Medals (Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears and Ashanti to Zulu), five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards (including one for the Knopf book, The People Could Fly), and numerous Coretta Scott King Awards. View titles by Patricia C. McKissack
Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most admired children’s book illustrators and illustrated more than one hundred picture books. He won the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, and many other prizes and honors. He illustrated two books written by his wife of sixty-one years, Gloria Jean: Back Home and The Sunday Outing. Jerry Pinkney passed away in 2021 at the age of eighty-two. Learn more about his life and legacy at JerryPinkneyStudio.com View titles by Jerry Pinkney
  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2008
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2007
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • WINNER | 2007
    Parents' Choice Award
  • SUBMITTED
    Charlotte Zolotow Award
  • SUBMITTED
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
Starred Review, Booklist, September 15, 2007:
"Parents looking for books on sharing will find this an appealing exploration of the subject, teachers seeking picture books set during the Depression will find many details that bring the period to life. A gentle lesson that plays into the spirit of the holiday."
-Carolyn Phelan

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2007:
“Full of humorous dialogue and scenes of realistic family life showing the close bonds within the family. Pinkney’s watercolor illustrations are masterful, as always…” - Kirkus Review

Review, The New York Times Book Review, December 2, 2007:
"An evocative book with a universal message."

About

Newbery Honor–winning author McKissack and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Pinkney have outdone themselves in this heart-warming picture book infused with humor and the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas always comes to Nella’s house, but Santa Claus brings gifts only once in a while. That’s because it’s the Depression and Nella’s family is poor. Even so, Nella’s hoping that this year she and her two sisters will get a beautiful Baby Betty doll.

On Christmas morning, the girls are beside themselves with excitement! There is Baby Betty, in all her eyelash-fluttering magnificence. “Mine!” Nella shouts, and claims the doll for herself. But soon she discovers that Baby Betty isn’t nearly as much fun as her sisters. Would it be more fun to share this very best gift with them after all?

Author

PATRICIA MCKISSACK is one of the most acclaimed authors writing for children today. She has written many award-winning books, including Never Forgotten, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; Porch Lies, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book; The Dark Thirty, a Newbery Honor Book; Let My People Go, recipient of the NAACP Image Award; and Mirandy and Brother Wind, a Caldecott Honor Book. Her other books include The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, Goin' Someplace Special, and Precious and the Boo Hag. Patricia and her husband, Frederick McKissack, are the recipients of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

LEO and DIANE DILLON have illustrated over 60 books for children and have received just about every honor and award imaginable. They are the winners of two Caldecott Medals (Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears and Ashanti to Zulu), five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards (including one for the Knopf book, The People Could Fly), and numerous Coretta Scott King Awards. View titles by Patricia C. McKissack
Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most admired children’s book illustrators and illustrated more than one hundred picture books. He won the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, and many other prizes and honors. He illustrated two books written by his wife of sixty-one years, Gloria Jean: Back Home and The Sunday Outing. Jerry Pinkney passed away in 2021 at the age of eighty-two. Learn more about his life and legacy at JerryPinkneyStudio.com View titles by Jerry Pinkney

Awards

  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2008
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • WINNER | 2007
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • WINNER | 2007
    Parents' Choice Award
  • SUBMITTED
    Charlotte Zolotow Award
  • SUBMITTED
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

Praise

Starred Review, Booklist, September 15, 2007:
"Parents looking for books on sharing will find this an appealing exploration of the subject, teachers seeking picture books set during the Depression will find many details that bring the period to life. A gentle lesson that plays into the spirit of the holiday."
-Carolyn Phelan

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2007:
“Full of humorous dialogue and scenes of realistic family life showing the close bonds within the family. Pinkney’s watercolor illustrations are masterful, as always…” - Kirkus Review

Review, The New York Times Book Review, December 2, 2007:
"An evocative book with a universal message."

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