The Enchanted Toy Playhouse and the Pirate

Barbara M. Buetter conducts creative-writing workshops for children and
is the author of Simple Puppets from Everyday Materials.

When Trimbolina chants her wish to walk through the doors of her
dollhouse, she magically shrinks to the size of her toys and enters the
house for adventures. This book relates three of Trimbolina’s
adventures. First she spends time baking in the kitchen, then she joins
her toys in the playroom, and finally she is kidnapped by a pirate,
Captain Bluebeard.

No strong conflict or plot is developed in this story. The only
connection between the adventures it recounts comes at the end, when the
other toys come to rescue Trimbolina from Bluebeard. The text is choppy,
with long-winded descriptions, little dialogue, broken sentences,
inconsistent tenses, and poor grammar. The author uses language that is
either too sophisticated or too condescending to capture the imagination
of young readers. Trimbolina is referred to throughout as “the kid.”

The production of the book does little to enhance its appeal for young
children: it is printed on uncoated stock, with no cover or inside
illustrations. Older children not turned off by the book’s stark
presentation would probably prefer a more interesting plot. Not
recommended.