It’s January 1st, 2016, and that means it’s time to debut American Girl’s 2016 Girl of the Year, Lea Clark. Lea is described as “a talented photographer with a love for animals, who discovers a wide world of possibilities when she embarks on a faraway adventure to Brazil.” As always, the Girl of the Year is only available for 12 months, and Lea’s collection includes the 18″ Lea doll featuring long wavy hair and warm hazel eyes, plus several tropical-inspired outfits, accessories, and toys that reflect her Brazilian travels—including Lea’s Rainforest House with over 30 pieces and accessories. This summer, Lea will be the subject of an all-new, action-adventure film, arriving on DVD via Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Check out an assortment of photos and the full details on American Girl’s Lea Clark launch below!
More from the Official Announcement:
Written by award-winning author Lisa Yee, the 2016 Girl of the Year books—Lea Dives In, Lea Leads the Way, and Lea and Camila—introduce girls to a curious ten-year-old girl with an adventurous spirit. On a family trip to Brazil to visit her older brother, Zac, who is studying the Amazon rainforest, Lea is excited to capture everything she sees with her camera. Soon Lea makes some incredible discoveries, but she also faces unexpected challenges, including a fear of the ocean, tension with Zac, and finding a baby sloth that has been gravely injured. With the help of her family, her new Brazilian friend, Camila, and her late grandmother’s guiding inspiration, Lea finds the inner strength and confidence to live her new adventures to the fullest.
Bonus: Check out our feature on the most recent BeForever Doll, Maryellen Larkin!
Giving Back with Lea
To show girls that, together, they can make a difference in helping protect animals and their habitats, American Girl has created Wild at Art, a year-long fund-raising campaign in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Starting January 1, American Girl is encouraging girls to use their artistic abilities to host an art sale and donate the proceeds to WWF. To launch the campaign, American Girl has made a $50,000 donation to WWF and also invites customers to contribute at American Girl retail stores and americangirl.com. Parents can visit americangirl.com/wildatart to learn more and register for Wild at Art, plus get animal-themed craft ideas, and be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of 17 Lea prize packages.
In addition, from January 1 through December 31, 2016, for every purchase of one of the three plush animals in Lea’s collection—the margay, sea turtle, or sloth—American Girl will donate $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to WWF.
Other Lea-related initiatives being held throughout the year include the following:
- Lea™ Born for Adventure Paid App and Online Play: Girls can join Lea in Brazil for an adventure of a lifetime with this paid app, featuring beautiful graphics, exclusive content, and endless play. The app retails for $1.99 and is available for download on americangirl.com/girloftheyear. Girls can also visit the Lea-dedicated site for book excerpts, movie-related content, games and quizzes, wallpaper and e-cards, and much more.
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Lea Retail Events: On January 1, American Girl stores are hosting Lea’s Debut Event, where girls will get a first look at her full product collection, plus enjoy in-store activities, colorful crafts, giveaways, and a fun photo opportunity. Girls can also take part in free and paid Lea-related events throughout the year. For more details on the in-store events, visit americangirl.com/stores.
The Lea collection is available on January 1, 2016 through American Girl’s catalogue; at americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail locations nationwide; and at American Girl specialty boutiques at select Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in Mexico City. The Lea books can also be purchased through retail and online booksellers.
