Zoey and her Mom live in an apartment in the city, just the two of them. One day Zoey is surprised to learn that they are going to visit her grandmother. As Zoey packs she thinks about this very surprising news, after all she never even knew she had a grandmother and had certainly never visited her before.

While Zoey’s mother and grandmother discuss in loud voices, Zoey decides to explore the house. Her mother has described her former bedroom, all pink and white and gold. In this room Zoey discovers a beautiful doll house and a tiny doll, dressed like a princess. Suddenly this 3 and one-quarter inch tall doll wakes up! I’m not sure who was more surprised the doll or Zoey!

Zoey is startled and runs out of the room and down the stairs! But the doll, well she is delighted to be awake again. She’s been asleep for a long time, and has even forgotten her own name. While she tries to remember her name the doll waits patiently for the return of her four foot tall servant. She’s had girl servants before and they always returned to care for her. And why not? She is as beautiful as a princess!

And so begins an unlikely friendship between Zoey and a three and one-quarter inch tall doll. The Very Little Princess by Marion Dane Bauer is about more than just this very special doll, it also looks at mother-daughter relationships from the perspective of a young girl.