American Girl is one of my favorite companies because they inspire girls to follow their dreams and explore the world. The 2015 American Girl doll, Grace Thomas, helped me teach my daughter about Paris and this year’s Lea Clark™, the 2016 Girl of the Year, has arrived to help us explore Brazil.  Known for its spectacular beaches, lush rainforests, rich culture and exotic cuisine, Brazil is big news this year as host of the summer Olympics.

Lea is an exotic beauty with olive skin, golden brown hair and hazel eyes. She comes dressed in a colorful Brazilian festival outfit with adorable strappy sandals and fun accessories including a messenger bag and a pretend compass necklace.

In Lea’s signature book, Lea Dives In, she shares stories about her hobbies (including photography, hiking and travel) and inspires girls to get out and explore. Lea is a big animal lover so my daughter was drawn to her right away.

As we read about the Amazon rainforest, it was a great opportunity to pull out the map and talk about the region’s ecosystems and wildlife. We had just received a Little Passports subscription box featuring Brazil so that really helped tie it all together.

Like other American Girls of the Year, Lea has a wide array of fun accessories (think swim, kayak, hiking, photography) and outfits that are sold separately.  I’m secretly lusting after this Rainforest House…

I love that she encourages young girls to see the world but I also love that she encourages girls to help protect animals with the Wild at Art program, a year-long fund-raising campaign in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Which American Girl doll is your favorite?

Special thanks to American Girl for a providing us with Lea. As always, all opinions are my own.

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