Mattel always comes up with new and innovative dolls and girl's toys, and this year is no exception.  Highlights this year include the new Dance N. Flex and Cheerleader Barbie dolls that have poseable bodies and REAL twist waists, just like the old twist and turn Barbies of the 1960s.  Polly Pocket gets magnetic--Polly twists and bends and has magnets in her hands, feet and mini environments.  Fashion Polly gets a new Designer Mall and a Groovy Getaway Dress.  There are new Mary Kate and Ashley Dolls based on their new video Getting There, and also on their animated series, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action.  For creative play, there's  the new Ello Creation System which lets girls build environments and personalize characters and accessories normally associated with boys building toys--systems available are Ello-Polis, Ello Aquaria, Ello Fairyopolis and Ello Jungala.

Barbie^® Collectibles 2003

For photos and complete information on the entire 2003 line of Barbie^® Collectibles, visit: Barbie Collectibles:  Complete 2003 Dolls Line .  There, you'll see all the 2003 collectible Barbie dolls announced so far--put your mouse pointer OVER the titles on the left hand side of the screen for details on any one category of dolls.  There are 5 pages of fantastic new releases in all!  Highlights include a beautiful new wardrobe trunk and a Ken in Silkstone for your Silkstone Barbie dolls, darling Kelly and friends in the Wizard of Oz (June) plus Kelly in Vintage Barbie outfits (August).  There are also the eagerly awaited Modern Circle Barbie dolls.  The Modern Circle dolls have a totally "now" look, and extra joints which make them poseable, and the dolls are all about fashion, plus  they features a reproduction vintage face sculpt popular among collectors.  The first doll in this series is dressed in a sleek green pantsuit with an aqua camisole underneath. Her accessories include a black choker and coordinating black beaded belt. She carries with her a "cell phone" and laptop computer encased in a black faux leather bag, and she has long orange hair that she wears straight with bangs.  Then there's Marie Antoinette Barbie, from the World Culture Series, an extremely elaborate Barbie doll set for release in August, 2003. Always elegant, there is The Waltz Barbie and Ken^® Giftset which captures the grace and splendor of waltzing. Barbie doll wears an exquisite pink chiffon and charmeuse dress, lavishly embellished in marabou and Ken wears a classic tuxedo with tails. Together, they are unforgettable as they trip the light fantastic.

Barbie Loves....SpongeBob?

Barbie's also got a new guy...SpongeBob Squarepants.  The set "Barbie Loves SpongeBob," puts Barbie together with one  of television's most popular cartoon characters.   The Barbie Loves SpongeBob doll looks like she just returned from the underwater village of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob's home, decked out in SpongeBob-themed capri pants, t-shirt, shoes and backpack, and clutching a SpongeBob plush.  SpongeBob SquarePants  is a hugely popular cartoon with a 30% adult audience and its currently the #1 kids' television show. , holding the position of television's number-one kids' show for more than a year.  "Barbie Loves SpongeBob is destined to be the hottest toy this season," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, Senior VP, Consumer Products, Nickelodeon. "We've brought together Nickelodeon, Mattel, SpongeBob and Barbie, all leaders in their categories, to create an unprecedented product that's sure to be a hit."  Mattel is also releasing several other new Spongebob toys, including Beach Blastin' SpongeBob (a noisy, megaphone talking toy) and Face Makin( SpongeBob's mouth and tongue can be posed to make facial expressions that he's known for on the television show).  Complete with her own miniature SpongeBob doll that is also a cool clip-on charm for little girls, Barbie(R) and SpongeBob are the perfect combination for endless hours of fun under the sea.

Dora The Explorer

Number one with the very little ones, ages 2 to 5,  is Dora the Explorer.  Fisher Price has new Dora dolls this year, including:

Magic Friends! Singing Dora: When Dora's favorite friends from the show -- the star, baby bird, frog and butterfly -- are placed in her hand, she magically livens and sings in Spanish and English. When kids squeeze her hand, she asks the child to find her friend. Each friend has its own magical action when placed in her hand and she sings a special "Happy" song to each of her friends. When kids place the star in her hand it magically lights up and spins.

Cowgirl Dora: Press Dora's boot and she sings and rides along; press her boot again and Pinto he pony joins in with neighs and galloping sounds. Dressed in her cowgirl outfit, Dora is ready to take on any adventure.

Barbie Dolls Visit Swan Lake

Mattel is following up their popular Nutcracker and Rapunzel  Barbie-and-movie lines of the last two years with  "Barbie of Swan Lake" products. Building on two consecutive years of top-selling movies with "Barbie in the Nutcracker" and "Barbie as Rapunzel," Barbie doll will again take center stage in the fourth quarter 2003 and continue to enchant audiences in 2003 with the fall premiere of "Barbie of Swan Lake." Based on the classic 19th century German fairy tale, Mattel's screenplay stars Barbie as Odette, a brave young girl who is trapped in an enchanted forest and discovers that through the power of self-confidence and determination, each of us can change the world in a special way.

New My Scene(TM) Dolls

In 2003 there will be new friends, cars, fashions and accessories for the hot My Scene line of dolls by Mattel.   My Scene emphasizes a modern, older girl style that captures the "aspirational qualities tween girls can relate to and find interesting in today's world."  The My Scene look emphasizes a more exaggerated, glammed-up style, reinforcing the appeal to the older girl.  This year,  My Scene(TM): Barbie(R), Madison(TM) and Chelsea(TM) start the new year with hip new friends Nolee(TM) and Bryant(TM).  Together, this group represents a variety of individual personalities and styles coupled with the high-energy, chic attitude of the big city all created for older girls ages 8 - 12.  These dolls are often compared to the popular Bratz line of dolls which have a similar edgy attitude.

Ello

Like no other building or construction set currently available, ello(TM) is a creation system for girls that inspires them to design and create anything that sparks their imagination. From people, places to jewelry, the possibilities are endless. The Mattel Girls Division created ello(TM) to extend beyond the linear play patterns historically associated with boys' building toys and engage girls in a way relevant to them by incorporating social play with creativity and crafts. Unlike anything else on the market, ello(TM) not only provides the tools and inspiration for girls to build elaborate fantastical environments, but also includes pieces to create characters and decorative accessories. With four whimsical sets to choose from - and a collection of accessory packs - girls can magically create endless stories and worlds.

Polly Pocket for 2003

For the third year in a row, Polly Pocket!(R) has been a "giant" in the small doll category -- ranking number one in sales. With Polly  Pockets, girls can take extreme "mini" adventures. This year, girls are sure to be "stuck" on a whole new Polly, thanks to the introduction of a new sized stretchy AND magnetic Polly.   Sculpted from a totally unique material, Polly can twist and bend like never before. But that's not all. She has magnetic hands and feet, and can hold just about anything. She has amazing new environments with magnetic pieces, so you can arrange - and rearrange  her world over and over! In Fall 2003, Polly gets more real estate and transportation for her carefree lifestyle, including the Designer Mall(TM) and her Groovy Getaway(TM) Jet. 

Shakira Doll Debuts

OK, I'm not sure the person that this doll is based upon is an appropriate role model for little girls, but there is now a doll based on...Shakira.  Yes, the singer best known for shaking and shaking her hips showcased by her  low-cut jeans.  This doll is brought to you by Mattel, the same company that just took Silkstone Barbies (at least those in their nice, classy lingerie) off the market.  Mattel will be introducing multiple dolls in 2003 that "capture the real-life looks and spirit of Shakira". The Shakira fashion dolls capture the singer's long hair and  style. 

Looney Tunes

Mattel has gone crazy for Daffy, Tweety, Bugs and the bunch.  These characters are being featured in a new line of toys just in time for the November release of the live-action feature film, "Looney Tunes: Back in Action."  Sing Sing and Taz are also featured, as are the Baby Looney Tunes from Mattel's division, Fisher Price.  Some of the characters dance, others talk, and there will also be a line of plush Baby Looney Tunes.  

Elmo Does the Limbo AND The Hokey Pokey

Last year Elmo was doing the Chicken Dance. Now it's limbo time--Limbo Elmo(TM) sings the Limbo Rock song as he does his own version of the Caribbean dance. He can limbo alone or under the limbo stick.  If he goes back too far, he says "uh-oh, Elmo limbo'd too far."  The "Hokey Pokey Elmo "does the Hokey Pokey and he turns himself around,...'Cause that's what it's all about!"  

New Harry Potter Toys

Mattel also has new Harry Potter product for 2003.  There's the new "Hall of Hogwarts(TM) Board Game" which is never the same game twice--it has ever-changing halls and stairways just like Hogwarts(TM). Players are challenged to find their way to the classes on their schedules through continually changing pathways. As they go, players turn over tiles to reveal hallways and staircases, which can be positioned to create a path to other classrooms. The first player to reach all the classrooms wins. The board game also includes fun spell cards to add a magical twist to the journey. Plus, there is tiny fun with the Mini 3-D Games.  These are mini three-dimentional play environments with a game, including the "Capture the Pixies" Game, where players try to capture the Pixies that have escaped from Professor Lockhart's classroom and "Escape the Dursleys," which challenges
players to escape the Dursley house and jump into the Weasley car without being caught by Uncle Vernon.  And, since kids love to, well, pretend cook and make up all sorts of concoctions, there is the Iced Pumpkin Drink Maker.  Children can make their very own Iced Pumpkin Drink, just like Harry Potter(TM) and his friends enjoyed while at Hogwarts(TM). These drinks include shaved ice, Pumpkin Spice Mix and add Wizard Sprinkles Mix, which makes the drink change color and make popping sounds. Kids can eat the flavored ice with a spoon or sip the drink from the cup. The Iced Pumpkin Drink Maker comes with the ice shaver machine, one serving/mixing cup, measuring spoon, one packet of Pumpkin Spice Mix and one packet of Wizard Sprinkles Mix.  Also new are the Web of Aragog Playset (contains the giant spider, web, and a frame; the set is usable with Harry Potter Action Figures.  There are new action figures in 2003, and they focus on the dueling club theme, with Dueling Hermione and Ron. Other new figures include
Spider Attack Harry and Professor Dumbledore(TM), and all figures are articulated.  Also new and aimed at the female fans of the movies and books is the Wizard Pets Plush Assortment: This is an assortment of wizard pets for girls to collect and display. Each one comes with a cool vinyl potion "bottle" for storage of the pet.   The potion "bottles" are perfect to pack in a backpack or purse, so girls can take their pets with them everywhere they go. The first pets in this series are Hedwig and Fawkes

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