William's Doll

Written in 1972, this book was daring for the time.

I'd like to think that society is much more accepting of little boys who don't want to play rough and tumble sports, who don't care for basketball (even if they are good at it) and who want to play with a doll.

William longs for a doll to play with. All the taunting and teasing by his brother and neighborhood boy, naturally called names like sissy and creepy, did not take away the desire William had to possess a doll.

His grandmother understood him and purchased a beautiful blue eyed doll with a white dress and eyes that made a clicking noise when the closed.

In a mere 32 pages, the author affirmed that society can be wrong...oh so wrong at times.

And, I loved the strong message of a show more grandmother who unconditionally accepted, encouraged and loved William.

As a side note, I am a grandmother of a grandson who, from the time he was a wee little guy, loved to play with dolls. Each year his Christmas present is the doll of his choice. Last year's choice was the American Girl doll Molly.

And, yes, just like William, he was teased by a neighbor boy on the bus who loudly laughed and said "Oh, there is the kid who plays with girly dolls!"

To their immense credit, my daughter and son-in-law talked the the parents of that taunting boy and asked if in some way they were imparting these ideas in their child.

It lead to an eye opening experience. show less

“Williams Doll” is about a boy who wants a doll to take care of but his peers make fun of him and say that dolls are for girls. Williams’s father buys him “boy” toys such as a basketball but William still wants a doll. When his grandmother came to visit William told her about the doll he wanted she bought him one and explained to his father that if he has a doll he will learn how to be a great father like his own. This book has a strong meaning of the stereotypical meaning it is to be a boy or a girl. It strongly illustrates how just because a boy may want what is considered to be a “girl” toy, does not mean that he wants to be a girl. When William’s grandmother explains to his father that having a doll can teach him to show more be an excellent father it gave deep insight to gender identities and the stereotypes they hold. show less

This wonderful book by acclaimed children's book author Charlotte Zolotow is the story of a boy named William who wants a doll. The story describes the various responses that William gets when he tells people about his desire. These responses vary from outright mocking (calling him a "sissy") to diversionary tactics (buying him a basketball and a train set instead of a doll). The story ends on a very happy note, as William's grandmother realizes the importance of having a doll for future parents of all genders.

This book is delicately illustrated by William Pène de Bois' watercolor and pencil drawings. I especially appreciated the beginning illustrations which depict William's miming of parental actions, such as putting a baby to bed, show more and how these mimed actions are responded to with laughter by William's brother and neighbor. Here, we can see how insensitive these boys can be when a boy goes against gender norms. The illustrations in this story tell as much as the words do. The last illustration we see is of William, gingerly holding the doll that his grandmother bought for him. It's a wonderful image.

For its questioning of gendered playtime activities, this book is a fantastic read for young readers. The illustrations are great to look at, too. show less

When William asks for a doll, his brother says, “Don’t be a creep.” His next-door neighbor chants, “Sissy, sissy, sissy.” His father offers him a basketball, attaches a net to the garage, and shows him how to jump and throw the ball into the net. William practices and practices, and gets good at throwing the ball into the net.

But he still wants a doll.

His father buys him an electric train and William plays with it a lot. He uses twigs for trees and builds bridges, tunnels, and stations from cardboard boxes.

But he still wants a doll.

And then, one day, William’s grandmother comes to visit.

Young readers will enjoy reading this book with their parents and discussing William’s wish for a doll. Sharing this story with children show more will provide parents with a perfect opportunity to discuss stereotypes associated with gender and to share their thoughts about William’s reason for wanting a doll.

Charmingly illustrated, the targeted audience for the book is ages four through eight; however, its Lexile Level of 840L places it at a skilled fourth grade or fifth grade level for independent reading. Nevertheless, whether read independently or read by a parent to a younger child, this is an important book to share with children.

Highly recommended. show less

I did not know this book existed. I wish I'd known when I was younger. It explains so well why I think boys should play with dolls as well. Zolotow does an excellent job of presenting the story simply and logically. It doesn't disparage other kinds of play, just gets the reader to understand all children should be able to play with dolls, in order to practice becoming a good parent/aunt/uncle/big sister or brother/doctor/nurse and so on. The illustrations are also sparse with a white background, a thin blue box outline, and soft watercolor images.

William's father encourages his son to play with basketballs and toy trains, but all William really wants is a doll to take care of. This should be required reading for all children and their parents. People don't always fit the molds we've created for them, and asking them to deny their true selves is asking them to sacrifice their happiness.

Lovely illustrations, though I'm surprised William's father allowed him to wear the apricot ascot.

I liked this book for multiple reasons. First, the book pushes readers to think about difficult topics. For example, William really wants a doll but since he is a boy his family doesn't think he should get one. He eventually gets a doll from his grandma and learns how to care and nurture another person. I think this pushes readers to think about gender norms and how they restrict people based on their gender. Another reason I liked this book is because the illustrations enhance the story. For example, on one page it shows William with his doll, he is so happy and content. I think this helps readers see that a persons happiness shouldn't be determined by their gender. The message of the story is that boys can like stereotypical girl toys show more and activities and that's okay. show less