American Girl Turns 40 — See Inside a New Book Celebrating the Beloved Brand (Exclusive)

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‘The Making of American Girl’ gives readers an inside look into the origins of the company and some of its iconic dolls

Published on January 16, 2026 10:00AM EST

The cover of 'The Making of American Girl'. Credit :

Mattel Press/American Girl Publishing

NEED TO KNOW

American Girl turns 40 in 2026The Making of American Girl, edited by Jodi Goldberg, traces the origins of the iconic brand, including some of its first historical dolls and the launch of its Chicago storePEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the upcoming title, which also includes never-before-seen archival material

American Girl was an iconic part of many people’s childhoods and continues to be beloved today. Now, the story behind the brand is coming to the page.

Forty years after the company was founded, a new book about the history of American Girl is hitting shelves. PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at The Making of American Girl, set to hit shelves this spring via Mattel Press and American Girl Publishing.

Edited by Jodi Goldberg, The Making of American Girl gives readers of all ages an inside look to how the brand founded in 1986 by Pleasant Rowland came to be.

The book chronologically tracks the origins of the brand’s first line of historical dolls, Samantha, Kirsten and Molly, and the addition of favorites like Felicity, Addy and Josefina.

A spread from 'The Making of American Girl'.

Mattel Press/American Girl Publishing

Also featured is the story behind other aspects of the brand, like the launch of the first American Girl Place in Chicago and the start of American Girl Magazine, as told through never-before-seen archival material, like original sketches, product designs and letters.

A spread from 'The Making of American Girl'.

Mattel Press/American Girl Publishing

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Rowland famously founded American Girl after a visit to Colonial Williamsburg in 1986. She left the trip thinking about how she could make history more accessible to kids, and came up with the idea for a line of dolls growing up in different eras.

A spread from The Making of American Girl.

Mattel Press/American Girl Publishing

Rowland partnered with author Valerie Tripp to write books to accompany each doll. "Valerie was the first person I ever talked to about the American Girl idea,” Rowland says in an excerpt from the book.

A spread from 'The Making of American Girl'.

Mattel Press/American Girl Publishing

“She is a friend so trusted and true, so wise and principled, so quick and creative, that I turned to her frequently throughout the years for solace and inspiration, support and affirmation," she continued.

"The Making of American Girl is essential reading for devoted fans and anyone who is curious to peek behind the scenes at how American Girl came to be," the publishers say in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

The Making of American Girl will be published on May 12, 2026 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

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