About Dare’s Books
THE LONELY DOLL Series
Dare Wright’s first and best-known children’s book, THE LONELY DOLL, made its debut in 1957, illustrated with her haunting black and white photographs. After becoming a national bestseller, it was followed by nine more titles featuring Edith and the Bears, the last of which appeared in 1981. Edith’s appreciation of her adopted family – Mr. Bear and Little Bear – and playful mischief are themes encountered throughout the series.
Awarded An Avg. 4.7 Out Of 5 Stars On Amazon
The books of THE LONELY DOLL Series have remained favorites for more than six decades! In November 2022, Dare Wright Media published THE LONELY DOLL, New Edition, which is available in hardcover and paperback both online and through your favorite bookstore. Produced using a careful restoration and reproduction of Dare Wright’s original photographs, our new edition ensures the continued availability of Dare’s extraordinary artistry.
Both this and Holiday For Edith And The Bears can also be downloaded onto the Nook Reader, and in the Nook app for iOS on your iPad, as well as Android & Galaxy. The eReader edition is narrated by the acclaimed British actress, Dame Virginia McKenna, O.B.E. (of Born Free fame).
Dare’s Readers’ Opinions and Ratings Clearly Attest That Her Stories and Photo Illustrations Are All Endearing, Entertaining and Timeless.
Dare Wright Media is now publishing all but one of THE LONELY DOLL series. In that one, Edith And Big Bad Bill, Edith, and Little Bear discover that the much-feared Big Bad Bill really is not bad at all.
Edith and Little Bear Take Care of Big Bad Bill’s Injured Foot
Edith And Big Bad Bill (1968) is a heroic story about Edith and Little Bear’s courage in standing up to Mr. Bear’s cousins’ prejudice against a darker colored bear named Bill. The melodramatic style was intended to echo classically dramatic tropes where the heroine was tied to the railroad tracks, but the book was not as successful as earlier ones in the series.
LONA, A Fairy Tale
Lona, A Fairy Tale, was originally published in 1963 and featured another felt doll from Dare’s childhood. It was intended for an older audience than THE LONELY DOLL series that preceded it.
Dare photographed herself in the book as the full-sized Princess Lona and used the doll as the enchanted small-sized version. The magic special effects in the pictures were created in Dare’s closet darkroom, long before the advent of digital help.
The Persis Series
Dare wrote three books in her “Persis” series featuring the tiny bisque doll from her childhood. In The Little One, Persis climbs off a dusty shelf in an abandoned farmhouse, discards her clothing as she runs through a meadow, and is lovingly adopted by two woodland bears. Make Me Real shows the power of a little girl’s love in transforming the inanimate doll into a real playmate. Take Me Home (where Persis is called “Robin”) tells the story of a small, but determined doll who escapes from the home where she’s kept as a child’s toy to find happiness living free in the woods with the rabbits, crows, and squirrels.
Ocracoke In The Fifties
John F. Blair Publishing Company of Virginia has published Dare’s Ocracoke In The Fifties, and the book remains in print. It is an historic treasure, preserving the stories of Ocracoke Island, both through Dare’s narrative and her magnificent photographs. In it, Dare has captured the Island’s people and scenery from a gently-paced era that is now lost forever.
Notable Opinions…
All of Dare’s currently published books have achieved an Amazon book readers rating of four to five stars.
THE LONELY DOLL was by far my favorite picture book. I loved that it looked like no other book I had ever seen, and it was a story I could really relate to.
Ann Patchett
Best-Selling Author & Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award
Among the ten best children’s books of all time
Britain’s Guardian/Observer
A classic
Liz Smith
N.Y. Author & Columnist
Dare’s photographic genius is beyond words, as well as her delightful layouts, and her evocative stories.