Mimi, Momo, and Miss Tabby Tibbs, Or: Highlife in the Attic
This 1927 book was written and illustrated by Katharine Sturges (who also illustrated >Little Pictures of Japan corrected 4/2006) and published by Gordon Volland. It includes 6 full-page illustrations and many smaller colored drawings. I have not scanned all of them here, but most of those which include the Japanese doll, Momo, are included.

The story is a fanciful account of the accidental awakening of a group of toys stored in the attic of an abandoned house. Three dolls, a red rubber baby, a stuffed cat, and Mr. Smitherkins are eventually joined by a sailor weathervane, a broken china dog, and an owl, for a grand dinner and dance party. The next morning they realize that the food they found had been left for a new family, including a little girl who, when she finds the red baby, turns it into a real baby. Mimi, however, refuses to be turned into a real girl, and the toys stage a rebellion for a while; eventually, however, they make friends with the little girl. Further adventures are promised.

I have transcribed below the few sections of the story where Momo, the Japanese doll, is described or speaks up. She uses a couple of Japanese words, but otherwise is characterized mostly by intelligence and energy--she is the one who tries to comfort the baby and finds little tasks to pass the time while waiting for the return of the heroes. Tabby is however the most interesting of the dolls, being physically tall and flexible, and both sensible and emotional--and also since she has a subtle romance with Mr. Smitherkins.

Cover: Mimi the French doll with her blue silk sash, Momo the Japanese doll, and Tabby Tibbs the Civil-War-era calico doll, along with their friends Squib the sailor, Gertrude the Owl, and Mr. Smitherkins.

Endpapers with a delightful doll design

Title Page

Dedication, showing Momo with the author's children
One of them, Hilary Knight, mother of Hilary Knight, grew up to be the illustrator of the Eloise series. Added 4/2006

The three dolls awaken in the attic

The dolls express astonishment at being awakened by a mouse:

"Baka," muttered Momo, and rolled her black Japanese eyes angrily at all the dark corners. "Baka!"  And baka means something in Japanese which I would rather not tell you.

      At this Tweetums woke again, and began screaming harder than any red rubber baby had ever been known to scream before.
     The toys all jumped to their feet. Momo felt her way to where the screams were coming from, and Tabby cried, "He's hungry, of course. He hasn't been fed for the last eight years."
     Momo turned Tweetums over on his stomach on her lap and patted him firmly, but his screams grew louder and louder.
    The rest of the toys flew about the boxes and bags in the attic feeling for anything that they might feed to Tweetums.

     A thread of moonlight wandered into the attic and played around the little toys. It ran over Mimi's blue ribbons and golden curls and her bright eyes, and Momo's red sash and shiny black topknot and her bright eyes, and Tabby's brown ringlets and her coral beads and her bright, bright, bright, bright eyes....

     ...when Mr. Smitherkins leaped out into the darkness to rescue the three fair ladies from starvation, or maybe worse, "Well, then," Frisk [the cat] said to himself, "I shall be a hero too," and over the window sill he sailed with his tail flying out behind him.
    "Bravo!" cried Mimi.
    "Banzai," cried Momo, meaning the same thing.
    But Miss Tabby put her hands over her eyes....

    Mimi and Momo had dressed themselves in gay attire and presently Tabby picked a honeysuckle flower and put it in her hair.
    A wreath of flowers was woven for Mr. Smitherkins, and later, when there was nothing left to do, Momo made another wreath for Frisk.
 

        "Well then, cried all the dolls at once, "where did all these beautiful things [to eat] come from?"
        "Well, Mr. Smitherkins began, "you see it was this way. They were lying on the back porch." ...
        Then Momo, who was very bright, said, "This story has got a plot."
        And Frisk, who was not very bright, asked what was a plot.
        "A plot," Tabby explained, "is the things that happen to you."
        And Mimi, who was still brighter than any of them... said, " I do not think, from here on, that I am going to like these plot. For who put those nice food on our back porch?" 

    "But of course,"  Tabby reminded them, "not all children are difficult. Dolls often learn to love them. I love most little girls and boys, don't you?"
    Momo agreed that that was true. When you are going to beloing to a new little girl you are always hopeful.