When I was contacted and asked if I'd like to review a new My Little Pony toy, I smiled nostalgically, lost in fond memories of the shelf full of ponies that I used to have lined up in my bedroom as a kid. Back then, they were just plastic model ponies with different coloured hair that you could brush. So when I had a look at the product that they were sending me to review, I was blown away.
Princess Celestia, as she is named, still has the glossy, brushable hair but that's where the similarity ends. She talks and makes sounds, she has fairy wings that flap and light up and, despite being called a My Little Pony, she's actually not that little (she's 8 inches tall) and she's not a pony (she's a winged unicorn) ! But that doesn't matter at all - she's still gorgeous and all little girls will instantly fall in love with her.
The official description says : "My Little Pony Princess Celestia is the most regal unicorn Pegasus princess in all of Equestria. This majestic unicorn stands proud at eight inches tall and wears a gorgeous golden crown. Push her sun-shaped cutie mark and watch Princess Celestia as her wings will illuminate and flutter. Girls will love to comb her multi-coloured, lustrous locks and decorate her mane with beautiful gems and flowers fit for a princess. The Princess Celestia pony plays enchanting sounds and speaks a number of magical phrases."
6-year-old Juliette loves combing her hair and putting the hair clips in her mane and I'm sure she'll carry on the family tradition and use her own slides and hairbands too. 2-year-old Pierre loves making her talk and has us in hysterics, copying her set phrases such as "I'm a princess" and "Let's fly to the castle" ! (Please note that the box has a warning label saying it's not suitable for under 3's due to the small parts being a choking hazard so do watch your little tots closely if you allow them to play with it.)
There is just one thing I'm confused about. The "real" Princess Celestia (as in the one on TV) is white, not the pale purple of the toy, and there is even a picture of her white alter-ego on the packaging. Although this didn't bother Juliette in the slightest, she doesn't watch the TV programme so I'm wondering if this would be off-putting for fans of the TV version of Princess Celestia.
Huge Brownie points to Hasbro for following the current trend and including the required 2 x AAA batteries with the toy. It makes parents' life so much easier and avoids numerous Christmas Day panics trying to find batteries in the back of the drawer when you desperately want to get the turkey in the oven !
I can see many little girls' faces lighting up, just like Princess Celestia's wings, when they find her under the tree this Christmas.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £24.50
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another toy my daughter would love - looks very cute!
ReplyDeleteMy little ponies were big when i was a child, nice to see them and the care bears coming back
ReplyDeleteim glad MLP is still around, my fave toy as a child!
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