Almost every child has a doll they love, whether it's a cherry-cheeked baby doll, a teddy bear, or a superhero action figure. It's not surprising, then, that there are so many children's books about dolls.
We've picked our favorite picture books, chapter books and middle grade novels about beloved dolls and the kids who play with them, nurture them, and imagine their inner lives. Rest assured, if your child has a specific doll in mind, there are plenty of books featuring licensed characters like Barbie and American Girl Dolls to be found on library shelves, too.
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Picture Books
Clive and His Babies (series) by Jessica Spanyol
Spanyol's All about Clive board book series should be on the reading list for every family with toddlers and preschoolers. The charming Clive loves to push dolls around in strollers (caring!), make art (creative!), and play dress up (imaginative!). In Ages 1 and up.
The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill, illustrated by Elliott Gilbert
Betsy goes to a party where are the girls have been invited to bring their favorite doll and win a prize in one of many "best of" categories. Betsy's doll isn't as fancy as the others. Can you guess which prize she wins? When I was about six I convinced my mom to let me throw a party just like the one in the book. Ages 4 and up.
MORE: Picture Books About Tea Parties
Benji's Dolls by Luis Amavisca and Alicia Acosta, illustrated by Amélie Graux
Benji is so excited about his new doll! He's been sharing his other toys at the park with his friends and he can't wait to show off his new doll! Unfortunately, one of the other boys breaks the doll. But wait, it turns out the boy is not a bully! Theres is a surprising and very sweet twist sets everything right. Ages 3 and up.
MORE: Picture Books That Challenge Gender Stereotypes
Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Christy Hale
Dolls can be fashioned from all kinds of materials as readers will discover in this tale of how one girl adopts a large rock as her treasured companion. Elizabeti starts to care for her new doll, whom she names Eva, while watching her mother nurture her new baby brother. Ages 3 and up.
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Colin Bootman
Lindy the doll narrates this moving tale. When Sally and her mom runaway to freedom, Sally takes along her beloved Lindy. Lindy tells the story of how the family escaped, and hid out in the Underground Railway. One night, Sally accidentally leaves Lindy behind and Lindy becomes a comforting touchstone for someone new. Ages 5 and up.
Dahlia by Barbara McClintock
McClintock's detailed illustrations and story will finally put to rest the myth that delicate dolls must be treated with kid gloves. Charlotte is a girl who likes to get dirty and play hard. When Aunt Edme gives her a doll named Dahlia, Charlotte informs her new toy that life is not going to be a bunch of fancy tea parties. And with that, Charlotte, Dahlia, and teddy bear Bruno have loads of rollicking adventures. Ages 4 and up.
MORE: Picture Books About Fairies, Dollhouse and Other Wee Things
The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
A mom helps her daughter make a string of paper dolls. She gives them clever names and they float through the world, surviving a variety of adventures, like escaping the jaws of dinosaurs and exploring gardens. But there is one thing they can't escape! Can you guess what that is? Fortunatley, they will always remain in the memory of the girl who grows up to become a mom who helps her own daughter discover the magic of paper dolls. Ages 4 and up.
Chapter Books and Middle Grade
The Doll Shop Downstairs (series) by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Three sisters in early 20th century New York City live above their parents' doll repair shop. This is a wonderful pair of books with an old-fashioned feel and charming illustrations. Author Yona Zeldis McDonough skillfully works in historical details about the effects of WWI on the family business and Jewish life in NYC's Lower East Side. Ages 7 and up.
The Dolls' House by Rumer Godden, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
Find it: Amazon
Not to be confused with a certain Norwegian play, Rumer Godden's story, written from the dolls' point of view, was one of my childhood favorites. A much loved doll family finally gets to move out of their shoebox house into an elegant Victorian manor. However, the manor comes with the beautiful but haughty doll, Marchpane. Tasha Tudor's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Classic Children's Books You Haven't Read Yet
The Doll People (series) by Ann M. Martin
Even my 11-year-old son loved listening to this on audiobook. Annabelle finds a diary belonging to long lost Aunt Sarah and decides to investigate. Meanwhile, her 100 year old doll family learn to live with the new, modern FunCraft doll family. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Essential Read Aloud Novels
The Winter of the Dollhouse by Laura Amy Schlitz
Don't be fooled by the cover, this book, with its complex and emotional character studies is perfect for upper elementary and middle school readers. When 11-year-old Tiph becomes a dog-walker for her elderly neighbor, the two develop an intergenerational friendship and bond over their interest in dollhouses. The narrative is skillfully told from the point of view of both Tiph, and Gretel, a dollhouse doll who sees Tiph as "her girl." Reading this book aloud will give you a lot to talk about with your kids. Ages 9 and up.
The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson
In 1927, Japan sent fifty-eight dolls to the United States to stand in as "Ambassadors of Friendship". Larson's tale follows one of these dolls, Miss Kanagawa, throughout the years as she passes through the lives of several girls. The children's experience is interwoven with narration from the doll's point of view. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Historical Fiction With Strong Girl Protagonists
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Three kids, Poppy, Alice and Zach, have spent their childhood in make-believe worlds and adventures in which a bone china doll is The Great Queen. When Zach's father forces him to stop playing, Poppy says that the doll is actually made from the bones of a dead girl, Eleanor, and that the three kids must give her a proper burial so Eleanor can finally be put to rest. Ages 9 and up.
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