David Milgrim’s Time to Get Up, Time to Go (2006) follows a little boy and his doll throughout their day. Simple illustrations and text make the picture book accessible to very young children to whom the cheerful illustrations will likely appeal. The young protagonist takes his pale-blue doll with him everywhere. His daily activities pivot around homemaking and include cleaning and cooking. Continue reading
William’s Doll (1972), written by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by William Pene Du Bois, is the story of a little boy named William who wants a doll to nurture like he will nurture his future children.
The text opens: “William wanted a doll.” All the ways William will care for his doll are then discussed and mimed. In the first image, William is alone, a closed door behind him, as he cradles an imaginary doll in his arms. In subsequent images, the door has opened, and his brother and male neighbor watch William perform his nurturing routine before rudely interrupting to call him a sissy. Continue reading
