The Paper Dolls

A string of paper dolls, made and named by a little girl, escape a toy dinosaur and a snapping oven-glove crocodile on a journey through the house and garden — until a very real pair of scissors threatens them.

For the kid who gives every cutout, doll, or drawing a whole name and backstory, this one turns a string of paper dolls into a world worth defending.

• Big idea: Imagination can make even paper feel alive — and just as fragile as the memories we hold onto.
• Vibes: Wistful, tender, and quietly dreamlike, with a bittersweet edge underneath the adventure.

• enjoy imaginative journeys through everyday places
• like to name and create stories for their toys
• respond well to gentle, lyrical storytelling
• are working on understanding memory and loss in small doses

• Story recall: What two dangers did the paper dolls escape on their journey — the toy dinosaur and what else?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think the paper dolls felt when the scissors appeared?
• Imagination: If you made a paper doll of yourself, where would you want it to go on an adventure?
• Real-life connection: Do you have a toy or drawing that you've given a name to, like the paper dolls?
• Noticing details: What did you notice about the pictures of the house and garden as the dolls traveled through them?