The Cats in the Doll Shop (review)

After Anna helped her father successfully pitch a new doll line to F.A.O. Schwartz in The Doll Shop Downstairs (BCCB 10/09), her immigrant family is doing just fine for themselves in their New York neighborhood. The same cannot be said for Anna's cousin Tania, sent by her mother to America after World War I food shortages impoverish their Russian home. Anna is thrilled to have someone her exact age in the house, so much so that even when Tania turns out to be awkward and shy and even when Anna's sisters give up on the poor girl, Anna keeps trying to befriend her cousin. Tania isn't the only lost soul Anna is trying to save, however, as she attempts to rescue a cat and her crippled kitten from a nearby apartment, despite her father explicitly forbidding her to do so. Like its predecessor, this is a charming period piece that capitalizes on the nostalgia for its historical era without losing its emotional resonance with young readers. The black-and-white line illustrations are pleasingly romantic, primarily featuring Anna and her siblings dressed much like a certain American Girl Doll, along with the occasional furry kitty. Between the cats, the dolls, and the cozy family drama, what's not to love?