The doll house of dolls, Nora Monologues by Barbara Branka presents an interactive way for children to express their creativity and imagination with the use of three dimensional figurines. Each of the dolls presented in this imaginative play has a different name, as well as a story to tell. This imaginative play is presented through an illustrated stage, complete with music and background images of Norwood, her friends, and Norwood’s classmates at school. The unique thing about Norwood is that she can stand on her own at any time and just blend in with the crowd of other dolls in the doll house. Children love having such a powerful doll as Norwood because she is so real and really can “come alive.”
There are many creative play activities that Norwood encourages children to discover and enact. Norwood is always asked to make speeches and tell stories during class plays, and she loves to do so because it makes her feel really important and grown up. When Norwood is asked to compose an essay, her teacher asks her to put together a sentence with at least eight words. Instead of simply stating what she “knows,” Norwood feels compelled to weave the story of the essay into her poem. Each of the activities presented in Norwood: The doll house of dolls is a story in and of itself.
Norwood Monologue is the perfect doll house for children to play in, but it is much more than that. It teaches children valuable skills for life. Those are not skills that can be learned in a classroom, but can be developed in the safe and welcoming confines of Norwood’s doll house. Children will have fun exploring Norwood’s world and coming to know and love Norwood the author, as she brings her imaginary characters to life in a way that almost never happens in a classroom. Playing in the Norwood doll house encourages creativity, imagination, and a willingness to explore and grow in a way that is uniquely theirs.