Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Let's Call Her Barbie

Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen, 432 pages

We all know Barbie, that ubiquitous fashion doll (and movie star) that's been a part of every American girl's toy box or wish list since the 1960s. This book takes readers on a fictionalized history of Barbie's creation at Mattel, including the challenges of creating the doll and her clothes (there's a reason her hands are shaped like that!), of marketing the doll to girls and their mothers, and of the many behind-the-scenes arguments that took place. While some of the real-life characters involved are given a more cursory personality (indeed, it often focuses more on what they did than why), the addition of a fictitious clothing designer made the whole story hit home a little better. No matter what, I'd recommend this to those people who haven't yet tired of the Barbie-mania brought on by the 2023 movie, as that's definitely the audience for this book.

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