DOLLMAKERS AND THEIR STORIES

The founding editor of Dolls magazine profiles 11 American dollmakers of the 20th century in this well-written overview. The five longer biographies include Madame Alexander, a legendary businesswoman whose dolls are still produced and avidly collected, and Ruth Handler, the astute creator of the Barbie empire. Each biographical sketch includes information about the woman’s childhood, education, family, and business life, supported by black-and-white photos. The final chapter provides short profiles of six additional women currently involved in the doll world, including Pleasant Rowland, creator of the American Girls collection. Students will find this useful for reports, and doll-lovers of all ages will enjoy learning more about the women behind last century’s most popular dolls. (extensive resource list and bibliography) (Nonfiction. 9+)