A Doll for Every Child

by Pam Connell | More from this Blogger

21 Dec 2007 01:07 AM

What better gift for a child who might feel different than a doll who shares her story? A well-made doll can help children feel that the way they are is beautiful. If you really want a doll that will reflect your child, right down to the freckle, birthmark, or adaptive equipment, you have several new options.

Dolls Like Me carries a variety of dolls, including biracial African-American/Caucasian and Latino/Caucasian. There is also a line of poseable figures from African-American history, such as Benjamin Banneker and Harriet Tubman. My favorite item was a jigsaw puzzle depicting a ballet class featuring dancers of many ethnicities, but with ballerinas of color in the majority, not the minority.

A customized doll may be the ultimate solution. At My Twinn you choose from ten choices of hair color, eight shades of eye color, and five shades of skin color; as well as hair length and style. You then send a photo of your child and an artist chooses which of several doll face molds is the closest match. The artist then customizes the doll with the coloring, hair and outfit you have selected.

On a smaller scale, Karen's Kottage has the most realistic cloth dolls I've ever seen. Karen sews them herself and will customize a doll to match a child's disability, birthmark, scars, etc. She has done many dolls for kids with hydrocephalus, taking care to place the shunt exactly where the future doll owner has hers/his. She has painstakingly crafted a gorgeous, yet realistic-looking, Down's syndrome doll with eyes slightly smaller than other dolls' and slightly slanted, transverse creases across the palms, slightly shorter limbs and broader digits, and a heart-shaped scar on her chest representing the heart defects common among children with Down's. For one girl, Karen made a doll with a removable prosthetic foot attached with Velcro. Karen is very willing to work with special requests. She will quote prices for custom orders, but has made several dolls on her own which sell on her website for only $50-$60.

Please see these related blogs:

African-American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Different Skin Colors

The Evolution of Barbie

Muslim "Barbie" Dolls Coming To A Store Near You... Maybe

Learn more about Pam Connell

Pam Connell is a mother of three by both birth and adoption. She has worked in education, child care, social services, ministry and journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger