When Sophie discovers Rose - an old-fashioned doll that belonged to her mother and grandmother before her - in a box in the attic, the young girl immediately knows that she has found a friend, and Rose becomes her constant companion, in adventures larger and small. More delicate than Sophie at first realizes, Rose is soon a little the worse for wear, losing a chunk of hair when Sophie attempts to comb it, a piece of her nose when she falls off the windowsill, and one of her eyes, when accidentally left out overnight. Despite these losses, Rose remains an important part of Sophie's life - a beloved friend and companion...

With its lovely tale of a girl and her doll, Sophie and Rose put me strongly in mind of one of my own girlhood favorites, Rebecca Caudill's The Best-Loved Doll, which I read and reread, when young. I like stories in which playthings remain playthings, rather than becoming untouchable antiques, and appreciate the idea, implicit in such tales, that sometimes the worn things in our lives - books that have been read to pieces, toys that have been played to bits - are the most precious. As a story, this book succeeds, but when you factor in Wendy Anderson Halperin's beautiful artwork, it becomes something very special indeed! Charming and expressive, the illustrations here build on and expand the text, perfectly capturing the loving bond between girl and doll. Recommended to anyone who has ever loved a doll or toy to pieces, and to fans of the artist! ( )

What a lovely, heartwarming story! Kathryn Lansky's narrative touched me deeply, poignantly and joyfully demonstrating that one's most beloved toys (the toys one takes everywhere, the toys one cherishes) do not have to be (and often are not) new toys, but older toys, special toys (toys that show they have been loved). Sophie's doll Rose reminds me a bit of a favourite stuffed rabbit I had as a child (in fact, I still have that rabbit). I took this rabbit everywhere and like Sophie's Rose, it ended up with more than a few rips and tears (I also accidentally left my poor rabbit in the back yard during a rainstorm, and while it did not lose an eye like Rose, it did lose part of one ear). The rips, the dings that Rose accumulates, are signs of love. They show that Sophie actively and imaginatively plays with her doll, that Sophie loves and cherishes Rose; Rose is Sophie's companion, playmate and friend.

Wendy Anderson Halperin's illustrations are wonderful. They clearly and compellingly show Sophie's love for her doll and the fun, the many exciting adventures the two enjoy together. In fact, not only do the illustrations complement the text, they are almost like a running narrative themselves, telling the heartwarming, loving story of Sophie and Rose as evocatively, as beautifully as Kathryn Lansky's text. ( )