Product Overview
In the delightful book, Onward is Best, A Christmas Journey, the story's main character, Dolly, a small wooden toy doll with wild, red hair, is afraid to go to a strange child's home on Christmas where she may, or may not be loved. She would rather stay with Santa at the North Pole where she knows she is cared for. As she is about to be led with the other toys into the Wrapping Room she escapes into the night where she plans to hide through Christmas. Santa would then certainly allow her to stay. Yet she soon gets lost in the snowy landscape, jumps through a hole in the night and begins a series of adventures with a group of odd, new friends. It calls to mind The Wizard of Oz Series as well as Alice in Wonderland. Dolly's own journey takes her from Santa's Workshop through Paper Land, Popcorn Land, Metal Land, Teddy Bear Land, Wood Land and Desolation Land. The full color illustrations for this read-aloud tale feature a series of meticulously detailed, 3D sets, each a handmade miniature landscape crafted from vintage and found varieties of paper, wood, metal and fabric, as well as popcorn and natural materials. With Onward is Best, young children can explore these enchanting sets while the story is being read to them. Readers experience Dolly's foolishness, bravery, loyalty, and risk-taking as she learns to count on others to help her push through the unknown. To craft her Yuletide tale, Linquist drew upon her childhood. Growing up in Chicago , she wrote, I was treated to an annual December trip downtown to see the Christmas windows at Marshall Fields. I have a vivid memory of plastering my face to the cold glass and blocking out all of the world with my hands until I was IN the enchanted, sparkly world the window designer had created . With Onward is Best: A Christmas Journey, Ms. Linquist has created equally enchanting worlds for today s children to explore.
