Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii

posted by Stacie on January 1, 2011 // 1 Comment »

Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii

Kanani Akina is the 2011 American Girl Doll of the Year. She is the first Native Hawaiian doll and the first American Girl doll to represent a Pacific Islander culture. We hope that this Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii post inspires you.

Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii

Meet Kanani Akina

This January, kicking off American Girl's 25th birthday celebration, is the debut of Kanani Akina™, the 2011 Girl of the Year®, whose story takes place in the lush tropical paradise of Hawai‘i. A warm and cheerful girl, Kanani loves her town's beautiful beaches, tropical sunsets, and fun luaus, but most of all, she and her family love sharing the aloha spirit—a desire to welcome and care for others with an open heart. Through Kanani, girls will discover that everyone has something to share that can make life better for someone else.

Kanani is available for one year and will launch with two books that tell her story, a beautiful 18-inch Kanani doll (featuring long, wavy medium-brown hair and hazel eyes), and an array of outfits and accessories such as a paddleboard set, a plush Hawaiian monk seal, and a shave ice stand!

American Girl Shine On Now Initiative

Aloha, Kanani, and Good Job, Kanani Books

Written by acclaimed author Lisa Yee, the 2011 Girl of the Year books—Aloha, Kanani, and Good Job, Kanani—introduce readers to Kanani and her small seaside town on the island of Kaua‘i. Kanani loves working in her family's shave ice and sweet treats store, as well as sharing the wonders of Hawai‘i with visitors. Whether she's making her cousin from New York feel welcome on the island, helping rescue a baby Hawaiian monk seal, or assisting older people in her community, Kanani learns that by sharing herself and her home in the true aloha spirit, she can make life better for others. The back of each Kanani book features profiles of real girls who, like Kanani, discover the joy of helping others through their gifts and efforts, however small.

American Girl Partnership with the National Wildlife Federation

To share in the Hawaiian spirit of helping others, American Girl is partnering with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to help raise awareness of endangered animals, like the Hawaiian monk seal featured in Kanani's stories. With the purchase of every Kanani plush monk seal sold in 2011, American Girl is donating $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to NWF's efforts to help children throughout the United States gain an appreciation and understanding for America's most vulnerable animals through various educational programs and activities.

Kanani and My Daughter

The Kanani doll is 18 inches tall with a soft cloth body. She has hazel eyes and long, loose curls, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. The Aloha, Kanani book is the first story about this cheerful girl who helps others by sharing the aloha spirit of Hawai'i.” She is a beautiful doll and she is only around for one year. Now one lucky reader has the chance to win a Kanani doll. She is just beautiful. My daughter immediately noticed that she comes with her own Kukui Nut lei which is cool because we have several of those lei's that we brought back from Hawaii during our visit.

Kanani Out of the Box

Kanani arrives in a breezy outfit that's perfect for island life:

Ocean blue, floral-print dress with a sequined appliqué and a ruffled hem
Faux hibiscus flower to wear in her long, loose curls
Traditional Hawaiian necklace made of pretend kukui nuts
Bright blue ruffled sandals
Cotton underwear

Kanani Events, Books, and Postcards

To further engage girls in Kanani's world and her story's inspirational message, American Girl is introducing the following products and activities in 2011:

Lend a Hand: Girl-Sized Ways of Helping Others: A nonfiction companion advice book to the Kanani fiction series, Lend a Hand gives girls ideas and tips (both big and small) for making a difference at home, among their friends, in their community, and on the planet.

Kanani Retail Events: Starting on January 1, girls can take part in Kanani-inspired events at American Girl retail stores nationwide, including demonstrations for dancing hula, free Hawaiian craft activities, and delicious Kanani-themed meals.

Kanani and Me E-cards: From January 1 through April 15, 2011, girls can create and share their Kanani-themed postcards at americangirl.com/girloftheyear and can be automatically entered (with parent's permission) in a drawing to win a Kanani doll and book.

Hawaiian Bread French Toast King's Hawaii Casserole Recipe

About American Girl

American Girl Brands, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), the world's leading toy company. Since American Girl's inception in 1986, the company has devoted its entire business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators. To learn more about American Girl or to request a free catalog, call 1-800-845-0005 or visit www.americangirl.com.

About the National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation is the nation's largest conservation organization and publisher of the award-winning children's magazines Ranger Rick®, Your Big Backyard®, and Wild Animal Baby®. The National Wildlife Federation inspires more than four million members and supporters to protect wildlife for our children's future. For more information, visit www.nwf.org.

Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii

Starting on January 1, 2011, the Kanani doll, books, and accessories will be available for one year or while supplies last through American Girl's catalog, at americangirl.com, and all American Girl retail locations. To request a free American Girl catalog, call 1-800-845-0005.

Kanani's collection includes multiple outfits and accessories that reflect her Hawaiian heritage, including a floral print dress, a plumeria hair clip, and a surfboard. Kanani retired in 2012, but she is still popular among collectors. She can be found for sale online and at some American Girl stores. We hope that this Kanani American Girl Doll 2011 Hails from Hawaii review post inspires you. Happy shopping!