Goffstein's stories never include an unnecessary word; her illustrations present only what is important for the reader to see. One of the artist's classics in miniature, this book has been charming people of all ages since 1969. Goldie knows the dolls she fashions with love are not "just dolls" and so do the children who cherish them. When the dollmaker buys an impractical lamp because it's beautiful, her friend declares Goldie is crazy to spend so much on "just a lamp" that won't give much light. But in the little house where she lives by herself, the artist is no longer lonely. She feels the spirit of the unknown person, far off in China, who creates as she does, out of love for those who understand the difference between "just things" and treasures.