Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (1872 – 1956) was the inspiration behind the creation in the 1920s of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. She was also its librarian writing to noted authors requesting that they produce a small manuscript to be specially bound, given one of Queen Mary’s miniature bookplates (designed by E. H. Shepard, who illustrated Winnie-the-Pooh) and shelved in the library.

Some authors reproduced extracts from earlier works in miniature while other authors produced an entirely new work often inspired by the exquisite and whimsical concept of the Dolls’ House itself. Vita Sackville-West’s small work A Note of Explanation was of the latter category being new, original, and amusing.

The early readers of these books can have been very few. Now the Royal Collection is occasionally issuing choice selections from the collection either in facsimile or, as in this case, with an entirely new production. This edition has luxury paper, a pretty binding, lovely endpapers and wonderful illustrations by Kate Baylay.

The Dolls’ House is famously empty of dolls. However, in her story Vita Sackville-West gives the Dolls’ House an occupant, a magical sprite who has witnessed many fairy tales; she knew Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, the Princess and her Pea, Jack (of the Beanstalk) and, rather unfortunately, Bluebeard. She found Scheherazade ‘long-winded and a bore’.

The nameless sprite – rather like Goldilocks – tries everything in the Dolls’ House; from grand and pedestrian beds, the lift, and the bathrooms that make Aladdin’s palace look rather poor. But she is a lazy sprite and leaves a trail of disorder behind her perplexing the architect and the Queen herself. The identity of this invisible disruptor, Sackville-West writes teasingly, can only be found in a little book in the library, bringing her tale to its circular conclusion. Now we can all learn of her identity and see just how stylish she was thanks to Kate Baylay’s attractive and ingenious illustrations.

This is the end of a little review of a little book from the library of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.

Produced by Royal Collection Trust this child’s story was written by Vita Sackville-West in 1922 for Princess Marie Louise the first cousin of George V. Sackville-West was one of 171 authors invited to a book for Queen Mary’s dollhouse. The story until now had never been published. The miniature book was discovered in the dollhouse library and finally published nearly 100 years later.

The story centers on a female spirit that lives in the dollhouse unseen by adults although evidence of her presence mysteriously shows up. The adventures of the spirit, that does share some of Sackville-West’s life experience, is told in a fairytale form. The illustrations an extremely well done in art appropriate to the 1920s and compliment the story quite well.

The hardcover edition with color illustrations is printed on heavy stock and includes an afterword by Matthew Dennison. The book looks and feels like it is from the period. Very high-quality art and binding preserve the Sackville-West’s only children’s story. ( )

Trinity - also rec to Jim B who purchased for Anne ( )