palmetto state bibliophile 2007-08-01

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I found these at a teachers' store sidewalk sale for a very low price, but now that we have them, I would pay full price to replace them if they got lost. Ryan's Room makes great toys, and these are no exception! The box says they are Asian-American dolls, but I probably wouldn't have thought of them as Asian at all if not for the wording on the box. They look like any dark-haired family to me. The dad looks particularly handsome in his khaki pants, white "dress shirt" and sweater vest. I'm pretty sure he is wearing a tie, which you can't see in this picture, but I haven't seen him since my 2-year-old nephew "met" him and declared him "Grandaddy!" Overall, this is a great open-ended toy that's easy to take along on errands or road trips. My daughter plays with these frequently - it's fun and enlightening to hear the conversations she makes up for them. These conversations give me a window into her mind about things I'd like to address with her or reassure her about later. I was pleased that the dolls seemed versatile enough that they don't have to be played with just as grandparents, parents, and children. Sometimes my daughter uses the grandparents as parents and three or four of the others as siblings and maybe an uncle or store clerk, and their roles frequently change. Great quality toy!