Full-color, illustrated photographs profile over 1,000 foreign Barbie and Barbie family dolls from around the world.

Take an enthralling and richly illustrated trip through the official real-world story of the Barbie™ doll—from groundbreaking toy to beacon of female empowerment. Created in partnership with Mattel to celebrate Barbie doll’s 65th anniversary and featuring rare images from their archives, Barbie: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy is a stunning tribute to the beloved pop culture icon that has echoed the taste, style, and events of every decade she has experienced. Recall the joy of opening a brand-new Barbie box with this sumptuously designed book chronicling every step in the beloved doll’s journey, from entrepreneurial pioneer Ruth Handler’s creation of Barbie in 1959 to the record-breaking film in 2023, and beyond, including: The Birth of Barbie – Learn how Ruth Handler came up with the idea of a doll that allowed little girls to play at being women, then overcame a parade of challenges—including disbelief from her male colleagues that mothers would buy their daughters an adult doll with full-grown breasts—and persevered to create the wildly successful Barbie doll and prove her doubters wrong. Breaking Boundaries – Follow the path that Barbie took from teenage fashion model to over 200 different careers, including trailblazing roles like astronaut in 1965, beating the first American woman, Sally Ride, into space by nearly 20 years, to surgeon in 1973, at a time when the total number of women physicians in the US was around 5 percent, to other male-dominated roles like Marine Corps sergeant, a business executive, and President of the United States. Reflecting Diversity – See how a doll that started with a choice of either blonde or brunette hair now boasts 35 skin tones, 97 hair styles, and 9 body types, with those numbers growing each year. Barbie in Fashion and Art – Explore how the fashion and art worlds have influenced and been influenced by Barbie, from limited edition Barbie fashions from premiere designers like Christian Dior and Michael Kors to a portrait of Barbie by Andy Warhol. Barbie in Pop Culture – Discover all the ways that Barbie has influenced pop culture, from Barbie bloggers and collectors to how her movie smashed records as the highest-grossing domestic release in history, granting its female director, Greta Gerwig, the prize for the highest-grossing film directed by a woman. Barbie: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy reveals how Barbie is more than a toy—she is an ideal that lives forever, encouraging girls to persist through to become whatever they dream to be.

This book discusses the history of the Barbie doll and at the cultural reappropriations of Barbie by artists, collectors and especially lesbians and gay men.

Barbie changed what a doll could be. Before her, many dolls were baby dolls. Girls would care for these dolls and practice being mothers. But Barbie let girls imagine other futures. The iconic doll had many careers, inspiring girls to dream of new possibilities for themselves and for women. In the early 1950s, Ruth Handler was watching her daughter, Barbara, and her friends play with paper dolls. The dolls resembled women. Handler saw how the girls imagined themselves as the dolls. But paper dolls were flimsy and delicate. Handler thought the kids’ imaginations could take off even more if they had durable dolls. This led her to create Barbie dolls. These days about two Barbies are sold every second. Barbie has her own movies and TV series. The 2023 blockbuster Barbie dominated the box office. Learn more about Barbie and her impact.

First released in 1959, Barbie was an instant hit. Since then, more than 1 billion dolls have been sold! In this book, fluent readers will learn about BarbieÕs history, including who invented this iconic doll, how the brand has grown, how it helps others, and how fans engage with Barbie. Engaging text and crisp, colorful photos draw in readers, while fun facts offer high-interest information. Special features map BarbieÕs headquarters, show off popular dolls, profile BarbieÕs creator, highlight a fan event, and more. Barbie fans will love reading this history of their favorite doll!

This title delves into the colorful history of the toy superstar Barbie and its popularity today. The book is complete with exciting historical and modern photographs as well as a more facts section and glossary. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Abdo Kids Jumbo is an imprint of Abdo Kids, a division of ABDO.

Summary about this story: "Barbie's Dreamhouse Adventures" is a touching story that takes place in a beautiful town between hills and a river. A little girl named Barbie lives in this beautiful town. She is known all over the world for being kind, creative, and willing to try new things. Barbie's beautiful dreamhouse is the thing that really makes her life amazing. The top of Barbie's dreamhouse is a sparkling roof that shines like a million stars. The house is painted in bright pink and purple. When the first rays of sunlight hit the dreamhouse in the morning, it comes to life with sparkling windows and a quiet, musical hum. The inside of the dreamhouse is a place where anything can happen. Barbie wakes up one sunny morning feeling excited and ready for an exciting day. She quickly calls her sisters, Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea, who are all amazing in their own ways, and tells them about her plans for the day, which include a wonderful trip through their dreamhouse. Their journey starts in the mysterious Dream Room, where the walls change colors, and the furniture can become anything. Barbie shows them the Dreamhouse Adventures Map, which is an old, dusty book with the key to secret tunnels, hidden rooms, and amazing treats hidden all over their house. The sisters start looking for wealth, and their first stop is the Enchanted Garden. This beautiful garden is full of strange flowers that make music when touched. As they keep going, they come to a beautiful pond where fish are swimming and dancing. The next place they go is Mermaid Cove, where they meet Marina, a beautiful mermaid whose tail shines. They have a tea party underwater in a castle made of shells and pearls, swim with bright fish, and dance with seahorses. The adventure continues with a trip to the Library of Imagination, where books come to life and invite kids to enter the places they describe. Skipper rides a nice monkey through the jungle, while Stacie breaks a secret code and Chelsea helps talking animals figure out how to solve problems. The end of their day is spent in the Cozy Corner, an area with soft blankets and comfy pillows. As they gather around the fireplace, Barbie tells them that the real value is not the magic of their dream house, but the love and memories they make together. As soon as the sun goes down, the sisters go to the Cozy Corner to get ready for a night full of dreams and new experiences. They know that the dreamhouse is more than just a house; it shows their shared goals and how much they love each other. The sisters go to sleep as the lights of the dreamhouse twinkle like stars. They are excited about the promise of a new day with endless opportunities and experiences in the world of Barbie's Dreamhouse. In this beautiful story, Barbie and her sisters learn that the most valuable things are the times they spend together, the love they have for each other, and the adventures they can have inside and outside of their dream house. How the story started: A little girl named Barbie used to live in a charming town with hills that rolled and a river that sparkled. This small town looked like it came straight out of a storybook, with its cobblestone streets and colorful houses. It was a neighborhood where people greeted each other with real smiles and laughter could be heard all over the streets. In this charming village, however, Barbie's dreamhouse stood out as the house that best showed off the beauty of the area. Barbie wasn't just a normal girl. She was a star in her town, known for being friendly, creative, and willing to try new things. The whole town loved her because of how happy she was. Barbie was always there when someone needed a helping hand or a word of encouragement. Her positive attitude made even the worst days better, and her friends loved being around her. Barbie was different from the other kids in town because she was always up for something new. While most people were happy with their daily routines, Barbie was always looking for something new and exciting. She thought that every day could be a new adventure, whether it was finding a secret spot in the woods, finding a rare flower by the river, or going on a mission to solve a riddle. But Barbie's life was really magical because she had her dream house. It was a one-of-a-kind home that showed how creative she was and how much she loved life. Her dream house was built on a gentle slope and looked like a castle from a fairy tale. Its front was a color harmony, with pink and purple, two of the most attractive colors used to paint it. In the golden light, the intricate patterns on the walls seemed to come to life. The roof of the dreamhouse was a work of art in and of itself. It looked like it was made of stardust, and it was awe-inspiring. During the day, it sparkled like a million gems, and at night, it twinkled like the night sky itself. People in the area often called Barbie's dreamhouse the town's crown jewel and a sign of dreams coming true. But the magic wasn't just on the outside. On the inside, the dreamhouse was a haven where anything could happen. As soon as someone stepped through the door, they were taken to a magical place. Mirrors and sparkling chandeliers in the entrance made rainbows of light shine all over the room. As you went deeper inside, you'd find the Grand Hall, which was a big room with comfortable chairs where friends and guests could gather to tell stories and laugh. On the walls were pictures of Barbie's family and friends, giving the room a sense of love and unity. One of the most interesting parts of the dreamhouse was the Spiral Staircase, a piece of art that seemed to resist gravity as it slowly spiraled up. Each step had elaborate carvings and gold accents that made it look like a work of art. The Dream Room, where magic really happened, was the most important part of Barbie's dreamhouse. The walls of this room could change color at the touch of a button, so Barbie could always be in a place that fit her mood. The furniture had its own thoughts. With just one wish, tables can turn into flowing waterfalls and chairs into fluffy clouds. Barbie's Dream Room was full of books. Each one had stories about faraway places and exciting things that people did there. She thought of books as doors to other worlds, and she often got lost in their pages, going on amazing adventures without ever leaving her dreamhouse. The most important thing in the Dream Room was a dusty old book on a shelf in the corner called the Dreamhouse Adventures Map. This amazing map was full of colorful marks, hidden paths, and hidden riches inside the dreamhouse. It was Barbie's guide to a world of adventures she could have right at home. One sunny morning, Barbie woke up with a sparkle in her eye and a lot of excitement in her heart. She knew this would be a fun day, and she couldn't wait to share it with her sisters, Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea, whom she loved very much. They didn't know that their dream house was full of even more mysterious things than they could have imagined. As Barbie led her sisters through the Dreamhouse Adventures Map, they went on a treasure hunt that took them to places they had never seen before. From the Enchanted Garden, where flowers sang tunes and fish danced in a shimmering pond, to the Mermaid Cove, where they had tea with a real-life mermaid named Marina, their day was full of wonder and excitement. But what really made this experience stand out was when they realized that their dream house was more than just a beautiful house. It was a place where they could let their imaginations run wild, explore secret places, and look forward to a new and exciting adventure every day. It wasn't just the dreamhouse that was magical; it was also how close the sisters were to each other and how much they loved and laughed. As day turned to night and the lights in the dreamhouse twinkled like a thousand stars, Barbie and her sisters understood they had found the real magic of their home: the power of love, imagination, and unity. So, they snuggled up in the Cozy Corner, excited for a good night's sleep and all the exciting things that lay ahead. Barbie and her dreamhouse were a bright spot in that beautiful village between rolling hills and a sparkling river, where kindness, creativity, and adventure thrived. They were a tribute to the beauty of fantasy and the magic of young dreams. They were a warning that magic could be found anywhere, even in the middle of the house. No other house in town was like Barbie's dreamhouse. It was a true work of art that showed off her unique personality and endless creativity. It was hard to miss in the neighborhood, and people who lived there and people who came to visit were both interested in and impressed by it. The dreamhouse towered over the land around it and reached up to the sky. Its size and height made it stand out, but it was the bright colors that really made it stand out. The walls of the dreamhouse were bright pink and purple, which made a beautiful contrast with the natural colors of the nearby rolling hills and calm river. It wasn't just painted on the outside; it was a work of art in its own right. A skillful blend of pink and purple made a pattern that went from one color to the next. It looked like the walls of the dreamhouse were alive, moving and changing in the sunlight to make a fascinating show. But it wasn't just the colors that made Barbie's dreamhouse stand out; the roof was the final touch. Nothing like this had ever happened before. It was wrapped in a fabric that looked like it had the soul of the night sky in it. During the day, when the golden rays of the sun hit the dreamhouse, the roof sparkled and shone like a million stars, giving off a beautiful light that could be seen from far away. In the evening, when the sky got dark and the stars came out, the dreamhouse's roof combined perfectly with the real night sky, making a beautiful illusion that left people speechless. People from all over the town would gather to watch the dreamhouse's roof change into a celestial show. It was a lesson that magic could be found even in the most unexpected places. But Barbie's dreamhouse was not only beautiful because of how it looked. Every morning when the sun came up, the dreamhouse's windows seemed to light up and come to life. Each window was like a small gem, and when the sun shone through them, the light danced in many colors. The dreamhouse seemed to welcome the day with open arms, as light and warmth came in through its windows. The dreamhouse also speaks on its own. As the sun's rays touched the walls and the wind blew through the windows, there was a soft, musical hum in the air. It was a soft, peaceful tune that seemed to come from the middle of the dreamhouse and fit in well with the beautiful scenery around it. People in the town often talked about the dreamhouse's pleasant hum, which they thought was the song of happiness and satisfaction. But it was what was inside the dreamhouse that made it into a utopia where anything could happen. The way Barbie's dreamhouse was set up showed her lively personality and insatiable curiosity. Every room was its own world, where magic and imagination could go as far as they wanted.

Barbie Forever: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy presents a detailed, fully authorized portrait of this beloved doll through all-new interviews, original sketches, vintage photos, advertisements, and much more—including a foreword by Olympic fencing medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad. A double-sided foldout timeline showcases important moments in Barbie history. Explore how the doll came to be, what it takes to create one of her many looks, and how her legacy continues to influence the world. Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has been breaking boundaries and highlighting major moments in art, fashion, and culture. She has been an interpreter of taste and style in every historic period she has lived through and has reflected female empowerment through the more than 200 careers she has embodied. Today, an international icon, Barbie continues to spark imaginations and influence conversations around the world. Barbie Forever is a vibrant celebration for the "Barbie Girl" in all of us.