Kirsten Larson was one of the first American Girl dolls to be released. Along with Samantha and Molly, she was introduced to the world in 1986. She was available for 24 years until she was retired in January of 2010.

Personality and Life

Kirsten is the perfect example of a pioneer girl. Upon coming with her family to America from Sweden Kirsten lived in Minnesota. Due to the hard-life of being a pioneer, Kirsten was a hard worker and very brave. Originally, she found it difficult to belong in the new country, but over time she began to feel like she fit in. One of Kirsten’s favorite activities was sewing.

The Doll

The Kirsten doll came dressed in a blue dress decorated with a red floral print and covered by a white and red striped apron. Along with the dress she wore yellow and brown stockings, leather boots, and two blue hair ribbons. Her accessories included a heart necklace, a red bonnet, and an embroidered spoon bag. Inside the bag, there was a handkerchief that was embroidered and a wooden spoon.

Products

In addition to the doll, the American Girl company released books that told the story of Kirsten. Originally there were six books released. For each book, clothing and accessories were released so you could dress your doll the same way Kirsten was dressed was in the story. The titles of the books were:

• Meet Kirsten
• Kirsten Learns a Lesson
• Kirsten’s Surprise
• Happy Birthday, Kirsten!
• Kirsten Saves The Day
• Changes for Kirsten