Happy 10th Birthday to the Sticker Dolly Dressing Books!
The first Sticker Dolly Dressing Books were published in 2006 and we are huge fans! The books have always been brilliant at keeping our daughter busy, especially when travelling. However, even when the sticking is finished they have stimulated discussions and kept her entertained. We went through a phase when she would choose a different book each night for a bedtime story and even now she takes them off the bookshelf to read them to herself. Many of them still provide learning experiences and introduce her to new situations and concepts, they have been so much more than sticker books for us!
The stickers are on separate sheets in the middle of the Sticker Dolly Dressing Books and we usually take them out as they are well labelled with the page numbers and it’s easy to find the page that they belong to. The first double page spread often introduces the characters in each book and subsequent pages include information about what is happening in each picture and what each character will wear.
We started our collection with Sticker Dolly Dressing Dolls and Fairies, Bridesmaids and Weddings were some of those that followed. It’s also been great to find German translations of the books, we’ve often given them as birthday presents to friends.
For this post I asked my daughter to choose her five favourite Sticker Dolly Dressing books from those that we have. I’m sure that over the years her favourites have changed but these are the ones that she currently likes to read and they have all stimulated some learning and introduced her to new ideas.
Back to School: The three dolls in this book all go to different schools and we follow their preparations as they shop for bags, books, pens and sportswear. We’re also introduced to various school related events including a concert, an athletics competition and a trip to a museum. For a child who is about to start school this book also covers the preparations that are needed before their first day.
Ballerinas: We are introduced to three ballerinas and follow them through their training session, their preparations for a ballet show and their visit to a ballet shop. Scenes and characters from famous ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Coppelia are also featured. This book encouraged us to go to the library and read the full stories of each ballet.
Extension Activities:
- Watch or take part in a real ballet class.
- Read the stories of famous ballets.
Costumes Around the World: This book introduces different dolls on each page. Dressed in the traditional costumes of their country the characters are shown celebrating a fest of some kind, for example a South African Wedding, a Venetian Carnival, a Vietnamese New Year and Carnival in Rio. We also have Around the World which shows dolls from around the globe wearing different costumes. The books provide a fascinating, yet easy to understand, insight into the costumes, traditions and festivals of different cultures.
Extension Activities:
- Look for the countries that the characters come from in an atlas or on a globe
- Find out about the traditional costume from the country where you live
- Research the specific festivals mentioned in the book
Dream Jobs: The three dolls all have different interests – nature and wildlife, science and the arts. Throughout the book each girl does work experience to help them decide on their future job. Jobs include Chef, Forensic Scientist, Marine Biologist and Reporter. This book introduced my daughter to jobs that she didn’t know existed and stimulated some interesting discussions about the jobs that people we know do.
Extension Activities:
- Talk to an adult about what their job involves
- Research what is involved in your dream job
On Holiday: The three dolls are at the airport waiting to board a plane and each has an idea of what they would like to do while they are away. Their action packed itinerary includes going on safari, camping and diving in a coral reef, more specific places such as Venice and New York are also introduced. This book gave us scope to dream about our ideal holidays as well as reminisce about the ones that we have already taken.
Extension Activities:
- Find a country in a travel agent’s brochure that offers the type of holiday that the girls have taken
- Draw / cut out pictures of the items that you need to pack in a suitcase for a particular type of holiday
There are over thirty Sticker Dolly Dressing books so you can be sure to find a book that will suit any child and their interests. There is more information about the range of Sticker Dolly Dressing Books on Usborne‘s website.
The Sticker Dolly Dressing Books will be celebrating their big birthday throughout October in bookshops throughout the UK. Head over to your local bookstore to find out how you can get involved with Sticker Dolly Dressing crafts, activities and competitions. You can also follow #StickerDollyis10 on Twitter.
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