Encyclopedia of Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls by Elaine M. Pardee and Jackie Robertson (2003, Paperback)

I decided to buy the Encyclopedia of Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls because I wanted to identify a couple of bisque Nancy Ann dolls that belonged to my grandmother; she had originally sent them to me when I was a child. My grandmother now has alzheimer's disease and is unable to give me any details as to how she acquired them and what their names were (when I was younger I never thought to ask, of course). Well, after searching the web for identifying pictures and watching auctions on eBay for about a year, I was still stuck on identifying one of them, other than learning that she was an early "Judy Ann" marked doll and was probably worth a bit of money. I finally got around to purchasing this book and am completely delighted by it. There are probably thousands of full color photos of Nancy Ann's endless creations, and I love to just browse through the pages, enjoying the vintage fabrics, colors and characters. There is a primitiveness and homemade feel to the dolls that I really appreciate, so far removed from the mass-produced plastic toys of today. I was able to identify the mystery doll, and learned that her value dictates I should be taking very good care of her. I think there is an excellent chance that anyone having problems with identification will benefit from this book, as there seems to be a comprehensive listing of every character in Nancy Ann's catalog during the bisque era, in addition to multiple photos of every variation of each character that the authors could get their hands on, and discussion of the types of fabric and construction used during those years. The authors obviously put a lot of work into compiling this, and it has really paid off.

I now have two of these books because I have storybook dolls in two rooms. I am so grateful to Elaine Pardee and Jackie Robertson because as we all know, your dolls sell better when you can identify what you have. Now I have hundreds of Storybook dolls and... um, I've become a, a, a collector. It's horrible how much I love them. And I just got my book signed by Elaine at the UFDC convention. So neat. This book has everything in it to help you identify your bisque dolls. If you have 5 or 500, your life won't be complete without it.

Since this book is now out of print, you can get a PDF download from Collectorbooks.com for a modest price.

For the collector of Storybook Dolls, this is a MUST HAVE to help identify as well as document your own personal collection. The best information yet for these lovely little dolls.

A Wonderful & very informative book! A "must have" if you collect these adorable, Nancy Ann Dolls! There are over 1,500, beautiful, color photos in this book. There are today's values, too. There are sections on Nancy Ann Doll furniture, sets, all of the different types like Judy Ann, Pudgy tummy Dolls, the Dolls of the Day, Dolls of the Month, Nursery Rhyme, Hush-a-Bye, Little Miss Pattycake, Operetta, Family, Masquerade, Powder & Crinoline, Storybook, Fairyland, etc. A super, well-written reference book to read for enjoyment & or to identify your Doll!

I purchased this book because I collect Nancy Ann dolls and I needed some information about older dolls. I also needed to identify some dolls I had purchased on Ebay. This book did help with identification and pricing. It was fairly informative but confusing in some areas. It is a good reference book-but not excellent.