The story of Holly & Ivy

An extremely touching and meaningful Christmas story that will appeal to children of all ages.

Stood the test of time, this will be a Christmas present for my niece this year.

Delightful Christmas story of an orphan (Ivy) who is not adopted and a doll (Holly) left behind on the shelf at the toy store after all the Christmas has been done. They find each other, and Ivy finds her "grandmother". This is an oldie, but goodie.

I'd almost forgotten this book existed until I saw it at the library. It was one of my favorites as a kid, and mine liked it as well. Great holiday tale full of all the classic children's books tropes: a plucky orphan, talking toys, homey details. Just perfect.

I admit a shameless love for sentimental books about girls and their dolls.

I admit a shameless love for sentimental books about girls and their dolls.

I admit a shameless love for sentimental books about girls and their dolls.

This edition, illustrated by Barbara Cooney, is the one I'd buy for my children. It's clearly an old-fashioned fantasy, with a doll that needs a child, and an orphan child that needs a home, and Christmas, and a policeman, and a shop-keeper, and a happy ending. But it's one of the loveliest of the

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genre I've read, and, in bits, one of the more clever. The mean stuffed owl, Abracadabra, is one of the elements that spices it up.

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Orphaned Ivy and a doll named Holly find their Christmas wishes fulfilled with the help of a lonely couple.

Colorful descriptions add to this sweet story of a little girl and doll both hoping for a home on Christmas and the wife of a policeman who wants something more for her holiday this year.

The Story of Holly and Ivy written in 1958 by Rumer Godden is a classic children’s Christmas story about the value of wishing. The story along with it’s lovely illustrations by Barbara Cooney gives one a warm glow as you read about the runaway orphan Ivy, who is wishing for a home and also for

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a doll to love, Policeman Jones and his wife, Mrs. Jones wish for a child to complete their family, while meanwhile Holly, the lovely Christmas doll on display in the toy shop wishes for a little girl to love.

With a little Christmas magic, wishes can come true.

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One of Rumer Godden's midcentury kids' stories about dolls. In this case, there is a little orphan girl named Ivy, and a little doll dressed for Christmas (Holly). Ivy is meant to be spending Christmas at the Infants' home because everyone else at the orphanage has been farmed out for the holiday,

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but instead she decides she is going to her non-existent grandmother's house is Aylesbury. Ivy wants a Christmas doll. Holly has just been put out for sale in the toyshop on Christmas eve, and she wants a Christmas girl. Mrs. Jones, the policeman's childless wife, is wondering about maybe Christmas being different this year. Despite the nasty negging of the stuffed owl Abracadabra, and with the assistance of the toyshop boy Peter, and a whole bunch of coincidences... a Christmas miracle happens.
The best part of this book is the description of the various toys, including the small stuffed velvet hippos, Mallow and Wallow, and the comfortably saggy elephant Crumple.

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