Amy's Eyes

by Richard Kennedy

Did you ever imagine as a child that your dolls could come to life, that your stuffed animal would one day talk to you? Well in Amy's Eyes they do, and more than that, the girl herself turns into a doll. When the story begins, Amy is a lonely orphan who finds comfort in her sailor doll, talking and reading to him constantly. One day she accidentally discovers the secret that will bring him to life, and being a sailor he (of course) goes off to sea. Amy pines away for him so much that when he returns, the sailor finds that Amy has herself become a doll. He takes her away with him on a pirate adventure, searching for gold treasure at the bottom of the ocean. Amy's Eyes is a wonderfully imaginative story, peopled with unforgettable characters. The ship's crew is made up of toy animals brought to life, with a few exceptions- one being the first mate Skivvy, who was a doll made of long underwear turned into a man. The animals were read Mother Goose in their bringing-to-life process, whereas Skivvy was read the Bible. So while the animals' heads are full of nursery rhymes, Skivvy contorts his mind over Book of Revelation prophecies and the arts of numerology. There's a lot of speculation in the story over the meaning of life and other deep questions. Add to that an enemy pirate ship, a witch aboard, threats of mutiny (from a rubber duck!) and a slowly-unraveling mystery, and you have one of the most engaging and entertaining stories I read in my entire childhood. It's beautifully written, too. I wish more people had heard of and read Amy's Eyes. Maybe you'll be the next one.

Rating: 5/5 ........ 437 pages, 1985

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