Review of My Pal 18" Boy Doll

Captain Rex action figure doesn't come with the doll.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Which My Pal Doll This Is:  This is a My Pal for Giving Thanks Doll

What you get:  Doll does not come in a box.  This 18 Inch Doll comes with a yellow long sleeve shirt with a festive Autumn print, a white t-shirt, orange pants, white socks, and plastic black and white shoes.  Doll also comes with a booklet.  The shirt and t-shirt have VELCRO closure.

Nationality:  Hispanic (I guess)

Hair color:  Brown.  Hair is rooted.

Eyes:  Brown.  These are sleepy eyes that can close.

Produced by:  LorettaRose, LLC

Doll is made in China, booklet is printed in the USA

Composition:  Plastic limbs and head.  Cloth, fiberfill torsos.

Website:  www.mysiblingdolls.com

Cost:  $64.99, and $78.96 after shipping costs.  I don't recall, but I believe this site might only take Paypal (I'm not sure about this, though).

Doll Movement:  Head turns side to side, arms go forward and backward, legs go forward and backward, arms and legs have limited side movement; hands, elbows, feet, and knees do not bend; torso does not twist.  Doll can stand on its own and sit down if propped or hands behind it.

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I had never heard of the My Sibling Pal company.  My mom discovered it when looking to see if other companies made 18" boy dolls after I told her about American Girl putting out a boy doll.  At the time I had looked, I hadn't seen any other brand who had done the same thing.  There was one brand called Get Ready Kids at Walmart that had an 15" boy doll.  However, shortly after the release of the American Girl boy doll, suddenly other 18" boy dolls came out of the woodwork.

One thing that impressed me about this doll was how well the teeth were done.

Unlike the other companies who primarily made 18" girl dolls, LorettaRose, LLC (which makes the My Sibling and My Pal dolls) primarily makes 18" boy dolls.  They did make a few girl dolls, but they were interested--besides charity work and making dolls that raised social awareness in children--in breaking into a market of supplying boy dolls, which had been non-existent.  It seems that now the girl dolls have been phased out.

A leaflet that shows some of the dolls offered by My Sibling Pal, all which have their own special message.  The girl dolls, it would seem, have been discontinued.

The focus of the company was to help children understand how children with disabilities learned and grew differently from other children.  The dolls were supposed to be especially helpful for helping boys understand a sibling that was disabled.  The original dolls had stories told from the perspective of a child that had a sibling that had Autism or Down Syndrome.  Other social awareness messages--going green, being peaceful, giving thanks, etc.--are promoted by other dolls.  The company also helps adults with disabilities by employing them.

The dolls all look alike--though they can vary in skin, hair, and eye color.  They also all look like they are time travelers from the 1970s.  Some of the hairdos and clothing are very retro.  My doll, for instance, comes with orange pants that are velvety to the touch and have lines--something I've not seen since I was a little girl.

They are so retro!

As far as price, they are more expensive than My Life and Get Ready Kids by at least $20.00.  They are less expensive, though, than American Girl and Carpatina dolls by at least $40.00 (this is not including shipping).

As far as quality, they are worth the price, I think.  The clothing is well made, though maybe not as fashionable looking.  American Girl dolls look like they may shop at Macy's or JCPenny.  These dolls look like they shop at Family Dollar or Walmart.  I'm not dissing either of these stores or people who shop at them (I shop at them myself), just trying to make a comparison.  However, these dolls dress like typical people, which has its own merit.  Some of the outfits American Girl dolls wear, stylish as they may seem, may raise a few eyebrows and even snickers if you went grocery shopping in them.  My Sibling Pal dolls are dressed for the mundane things in life--grocery shopping, tossing the pigskin at the park, etc...the times when your doll wants to be comfortable and isn't dressing to impress.  My Sibling Pal dolls come off as unaffected.

The doll has sleepy eyes that close for bed time.

I was torn between the doll I got (Giving Thanks), a Patriot doll (dressed like a soldier in army fatigues), and the Eucharist doll--which had a cool Dr. Who type coat.  In the end, the bright colors of the Giving Thanks Doll, besides the rather mild personality, made me choose that one.  If a person wore such an outfit in real life, we would probably claim they had bad taste.  The doll endeared me because it reminded me of those good-hearted but fashion atrocity prone individuals we all know who are either eccentric or totally color blind.  You laugh at them, though not in a mean way, and you conspire with your friends--all of you thinking that all he needs is a good woman to take care of him (and choose his clothes, and torch his old wardrobe when he isn't looking).

Some of the dolls, you can choose which one you want (Caucasian, Hispanic, or African-American).  My doll, which is part of the My Pal collection, came only as a Hispanic doll.  Supposedly, for additional costs and adding to your delivery time, you can call customer service and ask them to change the haircut or even the doll.  However, they don't sell the outfits separately.  The site does offer additional doll clothing and accessories for your dolls.

I was going to give him a Spanish name since he was Hispanic, but he told me his name was Patrick when I got him.  Not only that, I'm beginning to think he also speaks with an Irish accent, which he picked up from the Irish priest who taught him English.

Anyway, I fell in love with this little guy.  He is so adorable! When he first arrived, he appeared darker than he had on the website.  I find that dolls, when in storage and wrapped in plastic, can get darker.  Since being out, he seems to have lightened up.  He always has this rather baffled look on his face.

As far as texture, I liked his hair better than the American Girl boy doll I have.  Patrick's hair is silkier to the touch.  He does have what looks like a home hair cut...not badly done, exactly, but there is one strand that is longer than the rest and is prone to being breeze blown (or fan blown).

The one thing I really liked was how well the teeth were done.  Normally, I hate teeth in dolls.  It often ruins their looks.  It is very tricky to get teeth to look right, but with this doll it is done very well--making him look really cute.

His left leg has a tendency to turn inward.  He doesn't wear underwear.  He has a bit of a big butt.  I was surprised to see that he wears socks, as usually they don't put socks on dolls that wear pants.  The pants are pull-on, but not that hard to remove.

The hair is washable, but you will have to hang the doll upside down so it can drain.  Apparently water can enter the head through the roots in the hair.  You can blow dry the hair on low heat.  You can hand wash and air dry the clothing.  It may shrink if you put it in the washer and dryer.

The booklet talks about the company and its mission.  It talks about how people give thanks in different countries.  It gives recommendations on what websites to visit and what books to read about Thanksgiving.  There is a little poem that uses each letter of the alphabet to tell you how you should act towards others.  Then the back is for the child to write their own story about their new buddy.

The only thing that may be a problem for some people is that there may be a religious reference with some dolls (like the Eucharist doll).  It isn't oppressive, but in these sensitive times people can easily become huffy about things.  My little booklet talks about how people give thanks to God for their blessings.  The place is in no way promoting a religion or saying people should worship God...just teaching that some people do.

But I love this little guy! I think actually he is one of my favorites (don't tell my other dolls).  I'm thinking of pairing him with one of my Carpatina dolls, who looks like she is a bit on the wild side.  I thought it would be an interesting match--Patrick who is so vanilla...though Emily may totally traumatize him.