Princesses and beautiful flowing dresses interest my daughter the most so she was delighted to receive the Erika doll for her 5th birthday. Erika is a beautiful singing Barbie doll based on the movie, Barbie in the Princess and the Pauper. Erika is the maiden pauper in the story which trades places with Princess Annelise. Mattel has done a wonderful job creating a doll that looks just like the character in the movie.

The biggest deal for marketing this doll is that it sings! If you want to spend even more money you can get a second doll that sings along. We did fall into this trap but was certainly worth it since Erika was such a hit on her own.

Erika’s Song

The first song is part of the duet (second doll required, not included in purchase)

“I’m just like you
You’re just like me
It’s something anyone can see
A heart that beats a voice that speaks the truth
Yes I am a girl like you.”

Second song, more like just a line, not related to the other doll

”I love you the way you are and that will never change.”

Duet
They have marketed the Princess and the Pauper to sing a duet together if you buy both dolls which are normally sold separately. To play the duet cue the Barbie dolls to the beginning of the song. Princess Anneliese (purchased separately) starts the song so she should be in your left hand and Erika should be in the right hand. Push the dolls at the same time and they will sing the duet together.

I really don’t have a lot of nice things to say about the duet that they do together, we think that it sounds terrible. After hearing it a few times it causes one of those lumps that inch up your back and make your blood pressure rise. I think they are much better solo singers. After hearing how bad they sound together I would not recommend buying both “just” to hear their duet. They are marketed to sing in pitch-perfect harmony but ours don’t put on a very good show, they are seriously off beat. Perhaps having a fresh set of batteries would help, we’ll see.

The dress
Erika is dressed in It is a peasant-style gown with lace-up bodice. The overskirt is blue with sparkling pink on the underside. There are ruffles around the sleeves and waist. The back is solid pink with lace continued around the waistline. There is a Velcro closure from the neckline to the waistline for easy removal of the gown.

What’s hiding under her dress?
Erika has a very young looking body, she is not as mature as most Barbie dolls. Her arms rotate all the way around and straight out. Her legs move and her knees bend. There is a speaker in the front and the button for the song is on the back. The case for the batteries are also in the back.

Hair
Her hair is to die for. It is long brown hair that stretches to the small of her back and slightly curls at the end. It is pulled away from her face and a little piece is braided in front. It is a gorgeous hairdo that has kept its shape nicely. It has not frizzed and has endured much better than many of our previous Barbie’s have. A comb and brush vanity set is included with the set but is so tiny that it’s hard to say where that is now.

Accessories
She comes with shoes that disappeared the first two minutes which is a choking hazard for both children and vacuums. She also has a ribbon with a silver heart locket for a necklace which is stitched securely on. There is a wreath of flowers on her hairdo which is removable only with scissors.

Packaging
This comes in very appealing packaging. It has a beautiful scenic background on the interior of the box and Erika is tightly secured in the box. A tiny vanity set is shown, and a small plastic calico cat called Wolfie is also included. The back of the box shows a picture of the doll in play and also a picture of both Princess Anneliese and Pauper Erika singing together.

Batteries
The doll comes with batteries but will eventually need to be changed to hear the song. It requires 3 LR44 button batteries.

Purchasing
This can be purchased anywhere that sells Barbie’s and sell for around $16. Mattel also makes and African-American version of this doll which is just as beautiful. The only difference that I noticed was a darker skin tone, her face was a little different, and her hair was black and styled differently.

Our Experience
My daughter has an obscene amount of Barbie dolls but this has been her favorite since she got it 4 months ago. It accompanies her everywhere and because of that her dress has become dirty. I removed the dress and hand washed it with dawn and it now looks like new again. We absolutely love this dress, it’s very unique. We like to occasionally hear Erika sing. Our daughter sings thing song herself as well as along with the doll which makes a better duet than the second Barbie. She is a very special doll.

Other Princess and the Pauper Items
Erika Dress Up Costume
Princess Anneliese Doll
Princess and the Pauper Movie





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 16.00
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years