LitPick Review
The Friendship Doll tells the story of early America's relationship with Japan. They sent us 58 dolls as Ambassadors of Friendship, and this book follows the path of one doll, Miss Kanagawa. She traveled from New York to Oregon, visiting the Chicago's World Fair and many museums all during the time of the Great Depression. However, Miss Kanagawa's life of traveling from museum to museum was cut short when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. She was declared unpatriotic and was to be destroyed or hidden. In the story, she appeared one last time to cheer up the old lady who last knew her many years ago, but to this day her actual location is unknown.
Opinion:
In my opinion, The Friendship Doll, is a good book, but a bit confusing. As the book follows Miss Kanagawa's journey as an ambassador doll from Japan to the United States of America, the story line jumps around a bit. As Miss Kanagawa travels, she meets young girls, and the changing of the main character, from one young girl to the next is what makes this book confusing to me. This book takes place in the past, so while children might not realize it, they are actually learning American history. All in all, I think this is a wonderful book, and any young girl who enjoys more of a fantasy type book will definitely enjoy The Friendship Doll.
