Fashion dolls are great for imaginary play, but The Beatrix Girls, from Popstar Club Inc., take it one step further by letting kids live out their fantasies of being rock ‘n roll stars. The line features four characters, each of whom comes with a changeable outfit, including removable shoes. The back story is that they are all in a band called The Beatrix Girls: Lark is the bassist, Ainsley plays the drums, Brayden is the lead guitarist, and Chantal is the keyboard player. Kids can imagine the quartet having all kinds of music-related adventures, and these fun fantasies are supported a real-life album by The Beatrix Girls, Meet the Beatrix, that’s widely available. The line also has a website offering listenable tracks, pics, videos—in other words, the kind of backstage access that an actual band might offer its fans.
As for the toys themselves, each 12-inch doll has an articulated neck, arms, waist, and legs, making them highly poseable. Each one also has different-colored and textured hair: Brayden’s, for example, is curly and purple; while Chantal’s is brown and in a stylish up-do. Hair play is a favorite play pattern with dolls, and each Beatrix Girl offers lots of it, thanks to a design that emphasizes their heads and facial expressions. Meanwhile, as far as clothing and other accessories, in theory, kids can mix and match items between dolls to see, for example, what ’50s fashion-loving Chantal would look like in Lark’s punk rock-styled jeans.
One of the best aspects of The Beatrix Girls is its rock band premise—and not just because it lends itself to a specific kind of play or marketing possibilities. Rather, in its purest form, a band is a collaboration among equals, a situation in which there is no star, per se, but multiple talented individuals sharing the same limelight. As such, any kid who’s a fan of The Beatrix Girls may have a favorite character among the four, but it won’t be the sidekick or little sister character. In addition, The Beatrix Girls is a diverse line, so every kid should be able to find a doll that they can identify with, based on personality, fashion sense, ethnicity, etc. (Chantal, for example, counts marzipan and snails among her favorite things–just like so many children!) What’s important is, with The Beatrix Girls, kids are free to rock on, aka play responsibly, to their hearts’ content.
This product and more from The Beatrix Girls will be on display at The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite 14 event in New York City on July 17. Part of Blogger Bash, a two-day conference connecting bloggers and brands nationwide, Sweet Suite will feature the hottest toys and games for the upcoming holiday season. Visit thebigtoybook.com for more info, and follow the conversation on Twitter!
