by Lauren Busch

Created on: November 01, 2010   Last Updated: November 02, 2010

BEST MULTICULTURAL TOYS - HOLIDAY 2010

As our multicultural society continues to grow, gifts that touch the cultural and traditional heartstrings of families will score big this holiday season.

Baby Abuelita, a collection of multicultural dolls, DVDs and books, preserves hispanic heritage and tradition. In its 5th year, the Miami based company is rolling out Javier, the first toddler boy doll in the series of products that focuses on classic Spanish nursery rhymes and favorite lullabies of Hispanic heritage.

Winner of numerous children and parenting awards including NAPPA, IParenting, Mom’s Choice and Creative Child, Baby Abuelita’s unique dolls, books and home videos keep Hispanic culture alive and relevant by making it easy and fun to share traditional Spanish lullabies.  The bilingual ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’ dolls are modeled after typical Latin American grandparents and resonate traditions gone but not forgotten for many assimilated Hispanic families.  

Tapping into powerful nostalgia, the products stimulate precious memories about hopes, values and cultural connections.  Tunes are fun and catchy, quickly engaging children and teaching Spanish language vocabulary.  In fact, schools throughout the U.S. are using Baby Abuelita dolls as teaching tools and the characters are even included in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s third grade math books. 

Baby Javier (a featured character in the Baby Abuelita’s iParent Award winning DVD series “Family Fiesta”) is the newest addition to the 17” plush family that sings “Canciones de Cuna”  (traditional Spanish language lullabies and nursery rhymes).  Other members include:

• Abuelita Rosa – The grandmother doll.  Featuring white hair styled in an old-fashioned bun, she wears classic, wire rim vintage glasses, a pink gingham and daisy "bata de casa" (house dress) and pink slippers.

• Abuelito Pancho - The grandfather doll.  Featuring a balding white hairline and bushy mustache, he wears classic, wire rim vintage glasses, a traditional yellow guayabera shirt and blue trousers.

• Baby Andrea – The first grandchild.  She has brown hair in pigtails and wears a blue gingham dress with white bows.

• Baby Tita – The second grandchild.  She has black hair in pigtails and wears a lavender gingham dress with yellow butterflies.

Affordably priced at $24.99, each doll comes in packaging designed to look like a rocking chair and sings a different group of songs, such as “Arroz Con Leche” (Rice Pudding), “Duermete Mi Niña” (Sleep, Baby, Sleep) and “Campanitas” (Little Bells) in a voice reflective of the doll’s character at the press of its hand.

Other great holiday gifts include sing-a-long books, DVDs and even Baby Abuelita slippers. 

Baby Abuelita was founded by Carol Fenster and Hilda Argilagos Jimenez, two working moms who shared a goal to leverage traditions Spanish-language childhood songs to ensure that Hispanic heritage is preserved, passing it along to the next generation.  Enormous support is provided by Dany Garcia Johnson and business partner, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The complete line is available at http://www.babyabuelita.com, as well as Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.  You can take a peek at the edutaining videos at http://youtube.com/babyabuelita

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