Brace yourselves, girls! The Japanese Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri), or Girls’ Day, is being held on March 3rd in Japan. This festival is a time to pray for the health and well being of young girls. Most homes with daughters will set up a display of hina dolls. The main dolls used are Odairi-sama (a prince) and Ohina-sama. (a princess) Around the display dedications of peach blossoms, rice cakes and white sake are made. The festival is celebrated not only within the family but in communities, which each have their unique ways of celebrating the occasion. Check out some of the great stories about dolls that Wellington City Libraries has on offer:
Picture Books:
A string of paper dolls go on a fantastical adventure through the house and out into the garden. They soon escape the clutches of the toy dinosaur and the snapping jaws of the oven-glove crocodile, but then a very real pair of scissors threatens.
Patti Cake is a little girl with a brand new big girl room and a new, but slightly smudged, doll to keep her company–if her dog Tootsie does not run away with it.
When Yoko’s grandparents send her a beautiful antique doll all the way from Japan, Yoko couldn’t be happier. Even though Mama says no, Yoko sneaks Miki to school for show-and-tell. How could she have guessed Miki would be in an accident along the way?
Junior Fiction:
Penny instantly loves the doll her grandmother sends her, but finding the perfect name for her is a challenge.
The little girl and the tiny doll.
Living in a supermarket deep freeze wasn’t very nice for the tiny doll until one day a very special little girl came along, and thought of ways to make her happier.
Elizabeth is the smallest in the family. She is always getting into trouble and her brothers and sisters are forever leaving her out and ordering her around. She’s convinced she’s useless. Then Great Grandma gives Fairy Doll to Elizabeth – and it isn’t even Christmas! From then on Elizabeth keeps hearing a little ‘Ting!’ which seems to tell her what to do. Suddenly everything starts going right instead of wrong. Could Fairy Doll be magical?