278F: A picture book with a doll, a bear and a kitten (Solved)

I read this children’s book in the 1960’s. It contained photographs, not illustrations, and featured a stuffed bear, not plush, a doll with long blonde hair and a kitten. I think there is a scene in a barber shop where the doll’s hair is cut and I also seem to recall a ball of yarn being involved. The book was large format and I believe it was in color.  The bear was one of those that had movable mechanical limbs. The doll was also mechanical in that her arms and legs could be positioned. She reminds me of one of the early talking dolls from that era that were about two feet tall.

11 thoughts on “278F: A picture book with a doll, a bear and a kitten (Solved)

  1. Rebecca Berdar

    The description reminded me of a book in my collection, “The Lonely Doll,” by Dare Wright. I looked at some of her other titles and there is one called “The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson” and one cover is the Doll, named Edith, getting a haircut from Mr. Bear, and the story apparently involved Edith obtaining a kitten. Hope this helps

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  2. Tess

    Could it be “The Lonely Doll” by Dare Wright? Although there wasn’t a kitten in the first book, she wrote a whole series, and I believe there was a kitten in one of them. Also, there’s now a fascinating biography of Dare Wright available, called “The Lonely Doll”, that you may enjoy reading. 🙂

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    1. Tess

      Oops! The biography of Dare Wright is called “The Secret Life Of The Lonely Doll”. It’s written by Jean Nathan.

      I’m almost certain the book you are looking for is Dare Wright’s “Lonely Doll”! You will know right away when you see the cover on Amazon! Good luck!

      Reply
  3. Mary R. Kiang

    Sounds like one of the books of ‘The Lonely Doll’ series by Dare Wright…
    ‘The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson’.

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  4. Carrie Z.

    This sounds like The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright or one of the others in that series which feature black and white photography of a blonde doll and a teddy bear. The first one was published in 1957.

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  5. Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

    I’m pretty sure this sounds like one of the Lonely Doll books by Dare Wright. There’s one called The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson (early 1960s), and it involves a doll, a bear, a kitten and a haircut. I remember the first Lonely Doll book quite well. They’re all photos of an actual doll and what happens to her.

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  6. Kelly

    There’s a “sequel” that came out about ten years ago, marketed as “in the tradition of Dare Wright”. It had the same dolls and bears, but in color. It’s called The Lonely Doll Makes New Friends, by Brooke Ashley. If you’re sure the book you saw was in color, I’d check this one out.

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