This sweet little Christmas story was written and illustrated by the daughter of Velveteen Rabbit author Margery Bianco. It’s about a seven year old girl named Victoria who has been saving her money to buy Christmas presents for her five little sisters. On Christmas Eve Victoria empties her savings bank and goes out to choose the presents, but of course, there are obstacles and misadventures to be overcome.

The Doll in the Window is a text-heavy picture book, a short story really, only thirty pages long. There are only a few illustrations, but those that accompany the story are lovely and colorful. The book was published in 1953, and the economics of the story make that clear. Victoria is excited to have saved a whole dollar with which to buy her five Christmas presents. In addition to the six sisters, the book has a Cub Scout in search of good deed to do and a wonderful, beautiful, surprising doll.

Pamela Bianco was something of a child or teen prodigy. She was the first one to illustrate her mother’s famous story, The Velveteen Rabbit, in England when it first came out. (Later, the familiar illustrations by William Nicholson became those most associated with the story.) Pamela was educated at home, and her paintings and drawings were first exhibited as part of a children’s show in Turin, then in London in 1919, when Pamela was only thirteen years old, and in New York City in 1921. She grew up to be a moderately well known artist, and her works were and still are exhibited in many museums and galleries.

I suppose The Doll in the Window might be considered a bit preachy by some adults, but children will enjoy the story as it is on the surface and not be too worried about the moral. The unstated moral? Greed doesn’t feel good, and generosity is its own reward.