Katie Lou, We Love You

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Katie Lou can amuse herself for hours in the playhouse built for her by
Poppa. With her constant companion, Dee Darling, a “silly, willy,
girly” bear (as opposed to a teddy bear), Katie indulges in a game of
pretend. This time she and Dee Darling entertain the Queen of Fairies at
a tea party. They have so much fun that “bubbles of happiness [fly]
out of the playhouse window.” Neighbor Allie joins in the game and
they play happily together until dinner time. Then it’s bathtime,
bedtime, storytime, and dreamtime.

This simple story with its childlike illustrations is short on plot but
long on saccharine sweetness. While it would undoubtedly be enjoyed by
the author’s two daughters, for and about whom it was written, it will
have limited appeal for other readers. Not recommended.