Abandoned to the attic, a doll named Flora McFlimsey, converses nightly with a mouse who makes rounds around the house below. When she discovers it is Christmas eve, she longs to see the tree. She manages to get herself downstairs where Santa welcomes her because he's one doll short. The other dolls make fun of her, but the mouse along with the tree angel come to the rescue. Will the little girls love her? The illustrations in the 1949 are outdated. The story resonates with me as an older person who loved to play with dolls, but I don't see younger children playing with dolls as much, so I'm not sure how well it will resonate with 21st century readers. ( )

Originally published in 1949, and then reprinted in this 1988 edition, Miss Flora McFlimsey's Christmas Eve is the first of nine picture-books devoted to the adventures of this sweet, lady-like doll, whose name is taken from William Allen Butler's nineteenth-century children's poem, Nothing to Wear. Abandoned for many years in an attic, Miss Flora leads a lonely life, her only companion young Timothy Mouse, who visits her from time to time. Then one evening, when her murine friend tells her of the unusual goings on downstairs, and she realizes that it is Christmas Eve, Miss Flora, leaving her hermitage for the first time in years, sets out to see the Christmas tree, having an unexpected encounter with Santa Claus in the process, and finding her dearest wish granted...

Apparently these books, when reprinted by Lothrop Lee & Shepard in the 1980s, were altered somewhat, in that the illustrations (originally black and white, I believe) were colorized. I've been meaning to track down some of the original editions, in order to compare them to the newer reprints, but so far I haven't had any luck. Perhaps with the next installment of the series, Miss Flora McFlimsey's Easter Bonnet? In any case, I found this a fairly engaging tale, particularly as I enjoy doll stories that have a melancholy streak in them, and Miss Flora's early loneliness definitely fit the bill. Like Miss Flora McFlimsey's Halloween (the only other Miss Flora book I have read thus far), this felt a little dated to me, but still very sweet. Recommended to young doll lovers, and to anyone interested in vintage picture-books. ( )

One of my alltime favorite books when I was a little girl!