A Day With Josephine And Her Friends, Inspired By the Art of Honor C. Appleton - Pamela Prince, Honor C. Appleton
This book requires a bit of a back story: Author Pamela Prince discovered the vintage Josephine series in an antiquarian London bookshop. She was captivated by the illustrations. And so she was surprised to discover that the once popular series was long out of print and virtually forgotten. The series was written by a Mrs. H.C. Cradock and illustrated by Honor C. Appleton and, according to Prince, is now 'somewhat dated and overly sentimental'. However, she felt the images were still fresh and relevant. For now I'll have to take her word on the former, but I heartily agree with the latter.

So in an effort to revive Appleton's images she incorporated them into a new text. And I am so glad she did! Honor C. Appleton was a contemporary of artist Jessie Wilcox Smith and their work is similar, but there is something a little more modern and sassy about Appleton's work. Here, as the title suggests, we get to spend a day with Josephine and her troop of doll and stuffed animal friends. It's full of imagination and charm and is a doll loving girl's dream come true. Just an example of one of the many impossibly adorable images: the puppy Morgan is on trial looking terribly contrite while facing his nibbled on doll accusers all lined up in shoebox beds. Okay, maybe you have to see it to appreciate it, but trust me when I say it's just so darn cute!