My husband was reading the New York Times the other day and stopped to ask me if I knew anything about Doc McStuffins. I giggled a little at the name (while picturing Doctor Dolittle, Doctor Who and other such doctor characters...) and said, "nope." Well, as it turns out, I should have known about Doc, because she's the lead character from a new animated Disney Junior television series called
Doc McStuffins. This show has become incredibly popular among preschool children (and their parents) and the merchandise is starting to appear in all of my favorite stores.
Dottie (aka "Doc") McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who has a special way with stuffed animals and toys. Following in the footsteps of her physician mother, Doc has set up a small toy hospital inside her backyard playhouse. In each television episode, Doc fixes or helps a different toy, imparting simple bits of wisdom along the way...and glowing with a kindhearted, intelligent personality.
Miss McStuffins got the attention of the New York Times because she's black, and because she represents a success story for Disney--a company that has been working hard to overcome the racial and gender stereotypes of their past. I certainly recommend taking a look at the
Times' article. It's short, well-written, and it outlines the reasons why this show is a big deal, both for Disney, and also for a multitude of families who have been waiting for an African-American roll model just like Doc.
I watched several episodes of
Doc McStuffins and quickly became enchanted. It's fantastic. If my kids were younger, this is what we'd be watching. When I was a child, Doc's animal-loving personality and affinity for toys would have made her my hero. As a quickly-converted fan of this show, my first question became: "which is the best Doc Mc Stuffins doll out there?" Today, I will review two of the larger Doc dolls. One of them is sold at the Disney Store, and the other is made by Just Play and can be found on the shelves of Toys R Us, Walmart, Target and other big box locations.
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"Doc McStuffins" doll from the Disney Store, accompanied by Just Play figures
"Lambie" and "Stuffy." |