Librivox: Raggedy Ann Stories (version 2) by Gruelle, Johnny

Summary: This is the book that started it all. Johnny Gruelle gave his daughter Marcella a rag doll, on which he had drawn an eternally smiling face. Marcella and Raggedy Ann became inseparable, and inspired Gruelle to write Raggedy Ann Stories, which was sold with its very own Raggedy Ann doll. Sadly, Marcella died at age 13 after complications from a smallpox vaccine, but Gruelle continued writing about Raggedy Ann. (description by Zachary Brewster-Geisz)