Poems and stories, mostly about dolls, in a doll-shaped book.

Novelty shaped books were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With cover and pages carefully cut to the shape of the theme these could serve as a cheap alternative to the more expensive movable or pop-up books. Publishers of movable books, such as Ernest Nister and Dean & Son, usually produced these shaped books but there were other publishers as well.

Sometimes the shaping is quite intricate and in the better versions the back cover would show the rear view of the front image. This is not the case in Dolly Dear. The verses and short stories are sentimental as are the illustrations, but there is evidence that this copy was much read and carefully repaired for further reading.

The Lucy family of Modbury donated a collection of books, toys and games to the Children's Literature Research Collection in the 1980s. These were used by several generations of the family between 1850 and 1910.

Muir, Percy H. English children's books, 1600 to 1900, London: Batsford, [1954]

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. The Renier Collection of historic and contemporary children's books: occasional list, [London: The Museum], 1987- Ernest Nister, number 9, 1991

Haining, Peter. Movable books: an illustrated history: pages & pictures of folding, revolving, dissolving, mechanical, scenic, panoramic, dimensional, changing, pop-up and other novelty books from the collection of David and Briar Philips, London: New English Library, 1979

Gant, Elizabeth. 'Shaped books', ABMR: antiquarian book monthly review, vol. 10, no. 4, April 1983, pp. 132-135

State Library of South Australia: Treasures of the State Library: Round about pictures

State Library of South Australia: Children's Literature Research Collection. The Lucy Collection

Pop goes the page: Movable and mechanical books from the Brenda Forman collection: Ernest Nister

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. To be a child August 2004-