The Wheat Doll by Alison L. Randall, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth.

This picture book based on a true story is a lovely glimpse into the world of the frontier.  Mary Ann is hard at work in the garden harvesting carrots.  For company, she has her doll Betty, who is filled with wheat.  Betty watches Mary Ann work and listens to everything she says intently.  When Mary Ann carries the carrots to the root cellar, she leaves Betty in the garden.  Behind her, a storm comes filling the sky with black clouds and roaring with high winds.  Mary Ann’s mother insists she come inside and leave Betty behind.  When the storm has passed, Mary Ann races out to find Betty but she is gone.  Mary Ann works through the winter, thinking of Betty often.  When spring arrives, Mary Ann discovers that Betty isn’t gone after all.

This book has a lot about faith in it, but without any overt religious messages.  It is well-written and nicely paced with illustrations that are richly colored and often alight with a lovely glow.  The fact that it is a true story makes it that much more special.  It is a gentle but still exciting story of life on the frontier that doesn’t attempt to hide the harshness of the life and the hard toil that it took to survive.

Recommended for ages 4-7.