Meet American Girl Maryellen Larkin – 1954 BeForever Doll – 2015 Release

Meet Maryellen Larkin, American Girl’s 1954 BeForever doll. This doll comes wearing a darling striped dress, aqua shrug and Mary Jane shoes. Her character’s story comes to life in her award-winning BeForever storybook. True to the American Girl brand, the doll’s quality and details are just adorable.

My oldest daughter quickly fell in love with the American Girl doll collection. We first visited an American Girl retail store at Alderwood Mall near Seattle when she was 2 years old. When she was a little older, I gave her my own Truly Me doll from the 2000’s. My daughter especially loves the doll outfits and accessories. Maryellen Larkin is a perfect first doll for any girl!

We received the Maryellen Larkin doll from American Girl for review purposes. All opinions are our own.

Darling 1950s Fashion

American Girl Maryellen Larkin has hazel eyes that open and close and long strawberry-blond hair worn in a high ponytail with sideswept bangs. She comes in an authentic 1950s striped dress with a sweetheart neckline, tailored bows, and a full skirt (which hides white underwear underneath). Maryellen’s accessory add-ons include a cute knit purse, white gloves and coordinating pearl jewelry.

Maryellen’s lacy-knit aqua shrug is monogrammed with her initial. Black Mary Jane shoes and an aqua hair bow complete her outfit. American Girl doll clothes are easy to put on and take off, so even little girls can dress their dolls by themselves.

One of my favorite things about American Girl dolls are their soft hugable cloth bodies and movable head and limbs, which allow you to pose the doll in standing and sitting positions.

These dolls are collectible and have quality hair that girls can style. Consequently, American Girl dolls are recommended for ages 8+. I’ve taught my daughter to take care of her toys from a young age. I also encourage her to take care of her American Girl dolls and not drag them around. Girls who love dressing up dolls can enjoy this collection for many years!

Award Winning Stories

Maryellen comes with a story book titled, The One and Only: A Maryellen Classic. Written by Valerie Tripp, this story received the 2015 National Parenting Publications (NAPPA) Silver Award. Amazon offers a short summary of this book. My daughter and I will enjoy reading it together.

Maryellen Larkin is nine years old and longs to stand out. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle, in a family with five brothers and sisters! Maryellen gains some attention after a painting mishap, but not the kind she’s been longing for. Maryellen earns a new friend when she stays in at recess to practice her handwriting, but what does that mean for her old friendships? Finally, Maryellen hopes to have a white Christmas like the ones in the movies, but that’s not very likely in Florida! Will she find a way to make her dream come true?”

Maryellen Larkin Doll Review

We loved meeting the American Girl character Maryellen Larkin (released in 2015). First, her 1950s outfit is just darling. Maryellen’s beautiful dress is detailed with muted stripes and delicate aqua ribbon. Her strawberry-blond hair cascades over her shoulder in a playful ponytail. Her aqua hair bow coordinates perfectly with her dress.

Maryellen Larkin has a full clothing line of 1950s outfits, accessories, furniture and decor! I especially love Maryellen’s birthday dress and poodle skirt outfits. She also coordinates with a retro set of furniture including a couch, jukebox, and living room set.

Give Your Doll A Custom Hairstyle

One of my favorite things about American Girl dolls is their hair, which you can style in many ways. In my own experience, the doll hair is fairly easy to keep silky and untangled. I’ve shown my daughter how to gently brush her doll’s hair with a wire brush. The hair is made from very good quality fibers. Over the years, I arranged my own Truly Me doll’s hair countless times. She still looks practically brand new!

American Girl dolls with longer hair like Maryellen Larkin are really fun to style with french braids and hair twists. I wouldn’t recommend using any type of hair products on your doll. Simply using a wire brush works perfectly!

American Girl encourages girls to enjoy classic playtime and use their imaginations to create stories. These dolls also help build friendships when girls play with their dolls together! American Girl offers many fun characters and collectible sets for girls of all ages.