Customer Reviews

American Pioneer Family Paper Dolls (Dover Paper Dolls)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I collect and design paper dolls, so I'm always looking for something unique that can interact with what I already have. This set was part of a very gracious gift package given to me. It includes an elderly couple, a middle aged couple, two teens, two little girls, and a toddler. Costumes include town wear from back east, hunting clothes, work clothes, cowboy outfits, and even a covered wagon. The variety of "props" attached to the costumes are probably the neatest part of this set- there are a churn, a dog, a fiddle, a hen & chicks, baskets, buckets, fans, firewood, flowers, a newspaper, a reticule, game, packages from town, pots, ropes, shawls, tools, toys, and weapons. These props really bring the family's changing situation to life, making this a fantastic, accessible learning tool for kids. One downside for me was that the poses of the costumes, most with hands smack dab in the middle of the clothes, make them difficult to interchange with other sets. The other was the number of costumes for the kids. Twelve of the 36 costumes included will only fit on child paper dolls. So, that's just a four star rating for the collector. For kids, this is a five star set all the way.

I purchased several of Tom Tierney's historical paper doll sets to augment my family history projects. I have 150 years of family photos which are mostly in black and white, of course, so it's great to see the period clothing in detail and in color. The paper dolls will add so much to my research and my family's appreciation of the historical times and stories. Although I intend to keep the paper dolls uncut, they are printed on card stock which would be easy to cut and not tear apart if well-cared for.