I Recommend: Fanny

The books I highlight in my I Recommend posts are usually picture books. Why? Because my kids are at the age where they're reading a lot of picture books. (Correction: I'm reading a lot of picture books to them.)

And it's wonderful. I stumble upon gems sometimes, books I would actually walk into a bookstore and pay my husband's hard-earned money for. These are the books that I Recommend.

Fanny, as a girl and as a book, is delightful. I think I fell in love with her as a character just as much as I fell in love with author Holly Hobbie's illustrations and the story itself.

I guess I can relate to Fanny's dilemma. And I'm sure my kids can too. See, Fanny wants a Connie doll. Connies are high fashion celebrity dolls with big hair and even bigger lips. But Fanny's mother won't budge. She is not getting a Connie for Fanny. Ever.

So, Fanny does what any creative, ingenious, talented, motivated child would do ... and makes her own Connie doll out of bits and pieces. But when she's done, it's not a Connie doll. Her name is Annabelle instead. And instantly, Fanny falls in love.

But when the peer pressure starts and Fanny's best friends won't accept Annabelle into their Connie doll circle, Fanny stuffs Annabelle in a drawer, ashamed. After awhile, though, she does what any creative, ingenious, talented, motivated child would do ... and doesn't listen to her friends. She made Annabelle, she loves her, and she refuses to be ashamed of her.

If you haven't read Fanny, I'd check for her at your local library. You won't be disappointed and your daughters will love you for introducing them to her.