Manhattan Toy Dress Up

First, I'm going to copy the "features" list found on the tag that comes attached to the toy. It reads: "try my snap, button, fabric fastener and buckle! I have a fabric pirate sword in my pocket I have a parrot friend! zip and tie my shoes to help you learn!" They didn't come right out and LIE about it, but the following list of PROS and CONS will help clarify what you REALLY get.

PROS:

~ Adorable from top-to-toe! He has a really cute face, an attractive & colorful outfit, & the eye-patch & the parrot are nice touches, too.

~ Well-made, mostly (Please read the list of "CONS" for further info).

~ The selection of fabrics look AND feel great.

~ The snap & button work well, & the pocket with the button is a real, usable pocket.

Adorable? Yes...no doubt about it.

Interesting to my child? Nope...chalk up one FAIL for the parents, but there are other, more tangible issues to be aware of.

CONS:

~ About the "mostly" part regarding how well made the toy is, here's the deal...THE BUCKLE. It only LOOKS like a buckle; it performs in no way like one would expect a buckle should. It's an over-the-shoulder strap with a faux, plastic, non-buckling buckle, with a tiny square of Velcro (or "fabric fastener" as they must have to call it) located on the underside of the strap. Educational? Barely. It's been used maybe three times, and the stitching along all but one side of the Velcro square is gone. It's now a flap of Velcro rather than a patch. Having said that, the rest of it is so well made, I have to believe this might be a fluke.

~ It's way more petite than I thought it would be. There's not much to work with, really.

~ The zipper shoe is only 1 1/2" long.

~ The laces -that can't be used to laceare only 4" long, thick, & awkward with which to work.

~ I don't get the purpose for the dagger other than decoration. It's attached to the inside bottom of the pocket with a thick piece of elastic so when you try to pull the dagger out, the pocket gets all scrunched-up.

We'll keep it because we have a "thing" for pirates, and it's a really cute doll that looks good on the shelf.

I bought this for Chirstmas for my then almost 3 yr old and he liked it. After nearly a year his "friend" has gone many places with us but my son has shown little interest in dressing or undressing the pirate to he really seems to be just a friend. He might be too young for that just yet as he doesn't button his own clothes but he does know how to dress himself for the most part. I can't say the doll helped teach him anything though but again, he is happy to have a pirate friend to adventure with.

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We have a similar toy in the shape of a colorful hound dog--both made by Manhattan baby. In contrasting the two toys, the hound is much better made and presents easier to manipulate "skill stations."

As an example, the pirate's boot zipper is difficult for an adult to use, the shoe lacing on the other boot requires a very careful tying due to the provided length; ours, also, came with a flaw in the cording.

The pirate's sword resembles an ice cream cone and reinserting it in the sheath is going to require the help of an older sibling. A soft pirate's map would be my suggestion. The hound's pockets are generous and stitched/ constructed with a more substantial fabric. If your young toddler is able to successfully button the Pirate's pocket, start their college engineer fund immediately and forgo preschool. The hound has a button twice the size and an opening with forgiveness for beginners.

The pirate's gloves are not removable and unlike the hound, he is sans pants. He has an adorable belly-button.

I also wish his hat (the closure could velcro) was replaceable to enable a young child to practice dressing from the top down. He could sport hair the child could comb. The pirate has a elegant parrot with an interior rattle--but most 18+ months are so beyond rattles.

Mr. Pirate is a cute doll, overpriced for the educational component, and could be improved to incorporate many features found in their hound version.

Read Best Reviews of Manhattan Toy Dress Up Here

My son was 19 months old when we bought this toy. It is by far the cutest one we found for boys. It really was adorable which appealed to me. He loved the toy, loves to un-snap and un-zip it. I also likes to take the sword out, and since it's on a short piece of elastic it just pops back in the pocket. He totes his "Captian Jack" all over. I would recommend this dress up toy!

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This was Grandma's 1st doll purchase for my one year old granddaughter's First Birthday. We've already named her Mary. If you are looking for soft, cuddly, and a learning opportunity with buttons, shoes, zippers, etc, this is perfect.

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