Rose's Dollhouse by Roger Priddy

Let's Pretend Rose's Dollhouse by Roger Priddy

Rating: 4.5 stars

So this one really isn't a book.  Just wanted to let you know that I wasn't pulling a fast one on you or anything.  Awhile ago I wrote about how Grammy attended Lorelei and Ben's preschool's book fair, and she let them each choose a book.  Ben chose Katy and the Big Snow while Lorelei chose this non-book book.

I should preface this entry by saying that my husband and I are waffling about whether or not to get Lorelei a dollhouse for Christmas or for her 4th birthday in May.  I wasn't allowed such a girly-girl thing when I was young, so it's hard for me to just give to the pink and princesses and dollhouses.  But I recognize that the imagination that is required and gets developed is a super positive thing...  So, we waffle. 


Lorelei in full play.

 This book came as a surprise to us, because it is a fold-out dollhouse.  That means there was some interactive fun for me and Lorelei while we set it up--punched out the furniture and glued it together--and figured out how you play with it.  Soon after we got all the members of the family standing on their own two feet (well, and their triangular little stand), Lorelei was totally engaged in walking the little girl around the room, putting the (removable) stickers in places she thought appropriate, and making the dog and cat go where she believed they should go.

It was fun to watch, and it was a nice do-it-on-our-own activity, something she and Ben do really well anyway, but something that needs to be nurtured and developed, so...I encourage that play-by-yourself thing in segments throughout our days.  I really see how much Lorelei likes to play with this dollhouse, that niftily and swiftly folds back down into a book as soon as Ben wakes up from his nap.  He's a little rougher than Lorelei still (might take awhile for that to change!) so we protect this book-dollhouse from him.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure we'll delay the dollhouse purchase until her birthday in May.  I'm good at procrastinating on such things, but I also think that with a little more time, the creative and imaginative play that she applies now will be totally in full swing.  But, really, this book-dollhouse definitely helps as a warm-up to a real dollhouse, and is a deal at $10.  We'll see how long I can hold out on the purchase!