Minnie Saves the Day

MINNIE SAVES THE DAY by Melodye Benson Rosales
The Adventures of Minnie
Little Brown and Company – June 2001
ISBN: 0316756059 – Hardcover

Reviewed by Carisa Weeaks, MyShelf.com
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Melodye Benson Rosales is the author of the first three original ADDY stories in the American Girls series. Minnie Saves the Day is the first creation in her new African American children’s series, Minnie’s Adventures. The series takes place in Chicago during the 1930s.

Hester receives gifts from her grandmother every time her father returns from his job as a railroad Pullman porter, but this time the present is even more special. It’s a one-of-a-kind rag doll – and the only colored doll Hester has ever seen. Ignoring her older sister, Annie’s, remarks, she names the doll Minnie. Little does she know that Minnie was more special than she could ever dream. In this adventure, toys come to life, lessons are learned, and a family grows.

Minnie Saves the Day is a cute book with colorful illustrations that really help the reader picture the story in their heads. The author also created them. The characters are very versatile and add a lot to the adorably humorous plot. I definitely recommend this book for young kids ages 7 to 12 and to parents who love to read to their children.

There is a page in the front of the book that gives you some background information on the Merriweather family, which I found helpful, and at the back is a section titled Chocolate Covered Memories. It reads like a scrapbook of Chicago’s African-American History. There is also a recipe in the back of the book of Mama’s Butter Pound Cake mentioned in the story.

Readers can explore more of Minnie’s magical adventures in her next two stories, Minnie’s Risky Rescue and Minnie’s Haunted Halloween. It’s a magical series not to be missed!