English History Comes to Life in a Beautiful, Imaginative Way with A Girl For All Time Dolls and Books {Review}

While on vacation this summer, I overheard a customer service employee lightheartedly ask a European tourist what he thought of the birth of Prince George.

With a shrug, the gentleman's thick British accent replied, He's just another baby to me.

Laughing, the woman looked at him and said, I guess here in America we're more excited about him than you are!

So true! With just about everything from the United Kingdom receiving adoration and praise over here decade after decade — The Beatles, Princess Diana, William Shakespeare, scones and crumpets, James Bond, Monty Python, One Direction, Downton Abbey, Duchess Catherine's every move — there's clearly just something about the British that enthralls the U.S. to no end.

So it's no wonder that the buzz from across the pond has spread to the magical, beautiful, make-believe world of dolls with A Girl For All Time.

A collection of beautifully crafted dolls, books, and keepsakes designed to encourage imaginative and creative play, A Girl For All Time contains items that are made to the highest of standards, combining traditional hand-crafted methods with the latest technology available.

Each of the detailed, exquisite 16" dolls are based on 500 years of the fictional Marchmont Family and, along with their accompanying novels and accessories, are just the thing to merge imaginative play with times long ago.

And let me tell you, these award-winning dolls and the history that they teach are truly amazing!

Even before we had Matilda, Your Tudor Girl out of her stylish box, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were pointing out every aspect, from her intricate clothing to her long, smooth hair to her eye-catching pendant.

While I warned the girls that this was a keepsake doll (in hopes that she wouldn't end up disheveled and tossed around like some of their past dolls), as we removed the last ties it was clear that she was, in fact, plenty durable enough to withstand play.

Which makes all of the exquisite fine details — from the images online I could have sworn that her face and hands were crafted from porcelain, not vinyl! — even more stunning!

While Little Sister B, at age 4, is too young to understand anything more than the fact that Matilda is beautiful and elegant (the A Girl For All Time dolls are recommended for ages 7+), Big Sister E and I have been able to also begin discussing the history and time period that she represents.

A 13-year-old uprooted from her life and traveling with her family on horseback to London to join  Henry VIII's court? What other toy might possibly inspire such great questions and chatting about 1500 era England?!

Big Sister E has also really enjoyed looking through the Matilda's Keepsakes and Secrets book (sold separately for $18.99) and seeing page after page of interactive projects and activities available.

This hardcover, spiral-bound book is customizable in so many ways, letting each girl answer questions about herself, name her closest friends, get to know her family in depth, design clothing for Matilda and more.

At the same time, it also imparts knowledge about Tudor times and the ways that the time period was drastically different than today.

When both girls get a little bit older, I'm also looking forward to sharing the paperback novel Matilda's Secret (sold separately for $9.99 and recommended for ages 9+) with them as well. This novel encompasses the intrigue, intense friendship and mortal danger that Matilda and her family endure in the court of Henry VIII, including Hampton Court Palace and the Bloody Tower.

I have no doubt that in a few years my girls will be thrilled reading about Matilda's adventures while learning about the devastation and drama under Henry's reign!

Until then, however, we have mostly just been enjoying having Matilda in our home and introducing her to our (modern) life.

The girls have included her in everything from trips to the pretend grocery store to going through clothing with her to compare how things like skirts and dresses of today compare with petticoats and underclothes from back in the day!

All in all, it has been wonderful getting to know Matilda and seeing my daughters' enjoyment while playing with her.

The combination of her physical features (e.g. the attention to detail, her jointed elbows and knees, her gorgeous clothing, etc) and her captivating background have made it easy to see why A Girl For All Time has been awarded the rare Platinum prize from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio (as well as many others)!

I have no doubt that Matilda will be a part of our lives for many years to come and, due to her strong design and durable construction, that she will hold up to my daughters' love just as well as if she were stored on a shelf.

You can find out more about the complete A Girl for All Time collection of dolls, novels, keepsake books, costumes and accessories by visiting AGirlForAllTime.com, connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter, and making a purchase directly from their online shop. The first two dolls, Matilda and Amelia, are available now, with the third addition, Clementine, joining them this fall, with each retailing for $134.99.

Whether you bring home A Girl For All Time to serve as a toy or as a collectible, these fascinating dolls, their customizable keepsake books and their thrilling novels will surely be treasured and adored and the source of inspiration and imagination on a wide variety of new levels.

Other than the Matilda doll and books I was provided by A Girl For All Time, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion of this product.