Lady Daisy

Dick King-Smith

Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly In a departure from his animal stories, King-Smith conjures up a new type of fantasy in this endearing modern tale introducing nine-year-old Ned, who discovers a magical doll while clearing out his grandmother's attic. The lad is more than a little surprised when the wax figure opens its eyes and begins to chat about life in the Victorian age. After updating the doll (Lady Daisy Chain) on events that have occurred during her lengthy slumber, Ned decides to adopt her--even though he realizes that his claim to such a girlish toy may well invite ridicule. At first he keeps his discovery a secret, but one by one, his parents, friends and an antique dealer become aware of the ancient doll's existence (although no one guesses her unique ability). Tension arises when a burly classmate kidnaps Lady Daisy, but she is returned safe and sound long before the book's poignant conclusion, which takes place in the year 2010. Readers will be enamored of prim and proper Lady Daisy and her nonsexist owner, tough enough to hold his own against bullying yet sufficiently tender to express affection for his beloved ward. Exuding as much warmth, wit and wonder as Babe the Gallant Pig and Paddy's Pot of Gold , this newest addition to the author's impressive list of titles is sure to be a hit. Illustrations not seen by PW . Ages 8-12. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 2-4-- In this short, readable story, a Victorian wax doll is awakened from a 91-year sleep by 9-year-old Ned, who finds her in his grandmother's attic. The doll entertains him with talk about her former mistress, Victoria, who died as a young child, and other members of the family at the turn of the century. When Ned displays her at school for an assignment on Victorian times, he is teased by the class bully and ends up in a fight. Further adventures include rescuing her from a dog and a dollnapper. The last chapter stretches the fantasy a bit far, for it projects ahead to the year 2010. Ned, now a father, gives his small daughter Victoria the talkative doll companion. The plot is reminiscent of Rachel Field's Hitty (Macmillan, 1969), but while Lady Daisy is a similar proper, old-fashioned doll, her character is not as fully developed. After all, Daisy has been asleep for the past many decades, while Hitty had 100 years of exciting adventures. More unexpected than the fact that a doll talks in this fantasy is the fact that her owner is a soccer goal keeper and a boy who is interested in learning about family history. This easy chapter book, illustrated with softly shaded black-and-white sketches, is good light reading, but some of the English expressions and information about Victorian times will probably not interest American readers. --Yvonne Frey, Peoria Public Schools, Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.