American Girl announced the introduction of their new doll, A Korean-American Character doll, named Z. Yang. In the story, Z as she is called, is an expert at stop-motion video film making. Known for being an imaginative filmmaker who uses her talent to connect with people all around her, I knew it was the perfect doll and storybook to introduce to my child.
As with our own experiences in which many of us have often asked, "Am I good enough?" We have our doubts and think, "I can't do all these things" or "I will never be as good as (insert name)." I think the Z. Yang character is one many girls can relate to, as I struggled with this same question as a kid, and I know my 8 year old daughter asks herself these same things. The story tells of an aspiring filmmaker, Z, who is an expert at stop-motion video, and she has to make a whole new kind of movie-a documentary and it's harder than she thought. Z wants to impress the judges, but is not sure if her ideas are good enough to participate in the film festival. As she goes through the process of shooting a lot of footage, she still feels that something doesn't feel right. What should she do? As the story unfolds, Z discovers that to be a real filmmaker, she has to truly represent her real self, and she's reminded that everyone has a unique perspective to share with others - even if it is different from our own.