For a limited period during early November 2016, American Girl discounted Melody's Holiday Collection, which included the doll and book, Christmas outfit, fancy coat, and her dog, Bo. I told my children I was going to order the bundle as my Christmas present from them. Sure it was early November, but buying it then and having them reimburse me for the cost would save "them" money. I was only thinking about them. :-)
So I placed the order and, other than peeking inside Melody's box to look at her bangs (since another collector asked if my doll's bangs were straight -- and they were), I closed her box, placed it back in the shipper, and stored the doll and other items in a closet with plans to open everything on Christmas morning. I even had a fleeting thought of wrapping each boxed item in order to have something to open on Christmas from the children (other than two money-containing cards from each). Wrapping these items was only a thought. Prior to sitting down to write this post, Melody and her things remained out of sight and out of mind. This past weekend, I finally photographed her and the additional items I purchased that went on sale a few weeks later.
Photos of the things the children purchased follow:
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| Melody's individually boxed Holiday Collection |
Before releasing Melody, I opened her outfits and dog:
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| Melody's Fancy Coat is made of gold brocade and has faux-fur trimmed sleeves and collar with matching faux-fur hat. White satin gloves were included. |
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| Golden brocade dress with gold ribbon embellishments at bodice and waist, ivory tights, black patent-leather shoes, and a gold headband make up Melody's Christmas outfit. |
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| Melody's dog's name is Bojangles or "Bo" for short. |
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| Bo's blue collar matches Melody's dress. It unfolds to become a leash. |
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| Melody and her book, No Ordinary Sound |
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| She's perfect, from head to toe. |
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| I love the feel and texture of Melody's thick black hair with the perfectly flipped ends. |
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| Melody's hairstyling set remains unopened. The play outfit includes shorts set, two ribbon ponytail holders, and white canvas shoes. |
Melody's book, entitled, No Ordinary Sound, contains 222 pages. The synopsis reads:
Melody can't wait to sing her first solo at church! What song will she choose? She gets advice from her big brother, who has his sights set on becoming a Motown star, and she gets inspiration from the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Melody's also inspired by her older sister, who's home from college with new ideas about making things fair. What isn't fair is their cousins' struggle to buy a house. Melody learns that they're not welcome in certain neighborhoods because they're black. Just as Melody's ready to sing, an unimaginable tragedy leaves her silent. Can she find her voice when it really matters?
No Ordinary Sound, the first volume of Melody's stories about growing up in the 1960s, shows how people can come together to create social change.Growing up during the civil rights-era and witnessing the struggle to obtain a semblance of it here in the US is the reason Melody Ellison is part of my collection. She is part of my history. I appreciate the measures American Girl utilized to ensure historical accuracy in the stories and every detail of the doll and accessories.
One of the back pages of No Ordinary Sound extends thanks to those who were part of the advisory board that authenticated Melody's stories. Check out the name at the top of the list.
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