Announced September 16, 2008, Maritza Gutierrez has created the Maru and Friends line of dolls.
Based on the life of a young Hispanic girl who journeys to the United States, Maru and Friends chronicles a young girl's exciting transition into a new world. Living in an unfamiliar place, learning a new language and making new friends are all events recounted through the eyes of an 8-year-old girl in the storybook that comes with the doll. Tanya and Jamie, Maru's newest friends, help the young Hispanic girl through her journey while celebrating an ethnic and cultural diversity characterized by today's youth.
American award-winning doll artist Dianna Effner lends her expertise to Maru and Friends, designing all three of these 21-inch, high-quality dolls. The artist explored "the vast topography of the face," and revealing "their honest display of emotion."
Maru and her friends Tanya and Jamie will debut at the Children's Museum in Manhattan on October 21, 2008, but they are already available for purchase at http://www.maruandfriends.com/
Each doll comes complete with outfit and storybook and is made from the finest materials.