Books in The Lonely Doll Series series

Edith, the doll featured in Dare Wright's best-selling "The Lonely Doll" book series, together with her friends, Mr. Bear and Little Bear, spend a summer vacation on a farm in the mountains of upstate New York. They explore the nooks and crannies of a very large barn, and find the barnyard and hillsides an irresistible playground. It is not long before Edith falls in love with an adorable calf. Mr. Bear, however, will not give Edith permission to bring the calf back to their home in New York City. Edith then tries convincing him to let her keep a newborn colt or a baby lamb, but Mr. Bear will have nothing to do with the adoption of a large farm animal to keep them company in their apartment in New York City. When Edith discovers a tiny kitten living in the hayloft, she’s certain that she has found the perfect pet, and waits for the right moment to ask Mr. Bear if she can keep it. But before that happens, the kitten gets stuck on the highest beam in the barn. Edith’s plan to rescue the kitten by having Little Bear hoist her up in a basket goes awry when they both end up dangling over the straw. Mr. Bear comes to their rescue, lowering Little Bear gently, and making sure that Edith and the kitten get safely down in the basket. He agrees that Edith can keep her kitten, and the vacation ends happily.

Edith ("The Lonely Doll") brings a kitten back from the country, and her friend Little Bear feels very left out as Edith focuses all of her attention on her cuddly new playmate. It’s only when Edith is confined to her bed with the measles, that she begins to realize how much she misses Little Bear’s companionship. Little Bear sneaks in for a visit that turns into a disaster when he tries to cut Edith’s tangled hair. When Little Bear gets the measles, too, Edith uses her savings to buy him a puppy. Much to Mr. Bear’s delight, the two agree to share their pets and harmony is restored.

Mr. Bear thinks that he needs to take Edith ("The Lonely Doll") and Little Bear away from their beloved New York City to escape the dirty air and streets. But Edith and Little Bear don’t want to move to the country, so they take up the cause of cleaning up the city. They carry signs protesting the city's dirty condition as they march in front of City Hall. Later, they find themselves on the evening television news, much to the shagrin of Mr. Bear. But even with their publicity, the protest does not seem to draw the attention of the city's Mayor. So Edith and Little Bear write a letter and send it directly to the Mayor. And the Mayor sends a letter back, urging Edith and Little Bear to do a little bit every day to clean up the city themselves, and to keep watch for any polluters. Edith and Little Bear follow the Mayor's advice, and they begin to clean up their neighborhood themselves. They even report a nearby building's very dirty plume of smoke rising from a chimney. Mr. Bear, seeing how much Edith and Little Bear care for their home and their streets, happily decides they can remain in their home in the city.