I have twins who are now nine years old, but when I first got the idea to write Dory, they were five years old. What inspired you to write Dory Fantasmagory? I reached out to Abby Hanlon, the author of Dory Fantasmagory and Dory and the Real True Friend, who agreed to a joint interview with Rosie and me. When she encounters her fairy godfather, she pleads with him to turn her into something else, because she has “too many problems as a human.” Much of the time Dory seems oblivious to her impact on others, but the cumulative effect of others’ negative responses seems to be impacting her sense of self worth. She takes a method approach to imaginary play.Įveryone in her family calls her Rascal, which suggests that her behavior is of a mischievous or volitional nature, when, in fact, she is trying to do the right thing, and is constantly caught off guard by other people’s negative reactions. She often wears her clothes inside out, or substitutes costumes for school attire.

In contrast to Dory’s capacity for high-level thinking, she is dependent on others to complete basic self-care tasks, such as getting herself dressed and undressed. She has a heightened sensitivity to sensory, interpersonal, and spiritual elements of our universe, and she is among the very few who can actually see her own fairy godfather. She hums for no reason.ĭory contemplates life’s most complex questions, such as: “What is the opposite of a sandwich? Why do we have armpits?” For example, she can eat cereal in such a way that it comes out her nose. But somehow she ends up undermining her own best intentions at every turn.ĭory has a range of unusual talents that set her apart from her peers, but are of questionable practical value. She so badly wants to do the right thing, and make everyone around her happy. In many ways, Dory reminds me of the children in my practice. After reading the two Dory books, I quickly became obsessed. My friend, Rosie, a trendsetting 2nd grader with sophisticated taste in clothing, cooking shows, and fiction, recently introduced me to a new children’s book character, Dory Fantasmagory.

New dory fantasmagory book