

"Hurry! Hurry, Raggedy Ann!" they all cried as they crowded around. Then, there was the Little Brown Bear, Sunny Bunny, Eddie Elephant, Johnny Mouse and all the other animals from the toy box in the corner. There was Uncle Clem, with a nice brown yarn mustache Cleety, the clown, made of wood with rubber joints in his arms and legs Susan, the doll without a head the French doll, a lovely creature with yellow curls Rosa and Sarah, two pretty dolls with china heads. But Henny's voice was still as good as new. Frederika's "voice" had been broken, so that she could not say "Mama." She just made a tiny, quavery squeak when she was tipped. There were Frederika and Henny, both Dutch dolls, who, while very new, when they were tilted forward and back would cry, "Mama" in clear sweet voices. There was Raggedy Andy, of course, with his cheery grin painted on and his soft loppy legs. There was Beloved Belindy, a nice soft cuddly doll with lovely shiny pearl-button eyes and a wide smiling mouth. "We know it is wrong to tell a secret, but do tell us what surprise you have!"Īll the dollies gathered close to dear old Raggedy Ann and could hardly be still, they were so anxious to hear what Raggedy Ann had to tell. "'Course not, Raggedy Ann!" Raggedy Andy said. 'Cause why? If it was really and truly a secret, then I would not tell!" "Oh, no, Beloved Belindy!" Raggedy Ann replied as she wiggled a shoe-button eye at Uncle Clem, the Scotch doll. "Oh! Tell us, Raggedy Ann!" Beloved Belindy cried as she snuggled the two little china penny dolls in her lap. "Do you know what?" Raggedy Ann asked as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her pretty white apron and stood before the other dolls in the nursery. Whimsical illustrations capture the joy and simplicity of Raggedy Ann's world, transporting you to a magical place you will want to visit again and again. This very special story collection, a tribute to Johnny Gruelle's daughter, Marcella, has been lovingly restored to delight a new generation of readers.

In the end it is the dolls' love for one another - and Marcella's devotion to her dear friends - that is the true magic in this book. Raggedy Ann leads her friends through each exciting adventure with a dose of humor and kindness. They also make friends with a new doll named Squeakie, and a mischievous puppy, Rags, and get lost at sea on a sailboat. Nighttime is when the dolls come to life, so once Marcella is tucked in bed, Raggedy Ann and the rest of the dolls embark on a series of adventures, including a magical encounter with fairies. It's summertime, and Marcella packs up her beloved dolls, Raggedy Ann and Andy and all their friends, for a trip to the seashore.

Raggedy Ann, Beloved Belindy, Uncle Clem and Raggedy Andy sat very, very quiet, their cotton-stuffed bodies tingling as happily as Johnny Cricket's cheery tune, for they had looked through the door into Fairyland.
