Our Prairie Home: A Picture Album

Goffstein carved a set of miniature wooden dolls 26 years ago that have inspired many of her picture books. Now the dolls themselves take center stage, photographed against the muted interiors of a dollhouse, in a book that captures moments in a day in the life of a family: Lillian, her husband Bernard, their daughter Mildred and Lillian's sister, Alvina. Some of the photographs, such as Mildred gazing at herself in the mirror, dreaming of one day looking like her admired aunt, are evocative and work well with their accompanying captions. The photographs are artfully composed and filled with interesting artifacts that create the mood of a humble, bygone era; despite this, there is a static, austere quality to the book that a choppy text, focused on tensions between the sisters, fails to infuse with warmth. Goffstein's affection for her creations is apparent in this effort; one only wishes that she had managed to translate that caring into more accessible terms for readers. All ages. (September)