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SALT LAKE CITY — Like most young girls, MaKenna Merrell-Giles adored her American Girl doll growing up. But unlike many, the Utah gymnast had the experience to help inspire the illustrations for one of American Girl’s Girl of the Year books.
While Merrell-Giles was enjoying middle school and training at All American Gymnastics, American Girl was creating its 2012 Girl of the Year doll: McKenna Brooks. American Girl developed McKenna as a gymnast who was determined to join a competitive team.
American Girl introduced its first Girl of the Year in 2001. Each doll takes about a year and a half to develop, according to the company’s senior public relations manager Stephanie Spanos, and is introduced every January.
The 18-inch dolls were created to give girls confidence, each with its own personality and hobbies. To help bring each one to life, the company publishes fictional books, teaching young girls to “explore the many ways they can make a difference.” While the 2012 Girl of the Year was in development, American Girl hired author Mary Casanova and artist Brian Hailes to write and illustrate the McKenna series—"McKenna" and "McKenna, Ready to Fly!" It was Casanova’s third set of books she has written for American Girl and Hailes’ first of two.
Hailes, based in Salt Lake City, thought it would be beneficial to find inspiration for the McKenna books' illustrations from gymnasts rather than the company’s tradition of hiring models. He was eager to reach out to local gymnastics clubs to understand the sport.
“I had a friend who was then on the Utah Jazz stunt team,” Hailes said. “He had connections at All American Gymnastics and recommended I contact them.”
Hailes connected with the club and was warmly invited to visit. Camera in hand, Hailes visited All American Gymnastics to photograph tumbling athletes around the fictional age of the doll, which happened to be Merrell-Giles’ class.
“It was a big deal,” Jodi Merrell, Merrell-Giles’ mother and 31-year All American Gymnastics coach, said. “The girls loved the dolls, so it was fun to have them here.”
Merrell-Giles was thrilled to be a part of bringing McKenna to life. She grew up playing with American Girl dolls and used them to learn how to braid hair, which in turn led her to become the Red Rocks’ hairstylist for meets.
“When I came in, there was a senior who was good at doing hair,” Merrell-Giles said. “I took that role over last year and this year I do almost everybody’s.”
Hailes spent a week photographing the gymnasts, including Merrell-Giles, during practice. He wanted to capture the atmosphere of the gym and moments of the girls climbing up ropes, balancing on the beam and tumbling to use as models for his illustrations.
“It was fun to see it pan out and how the girls would spark an idea (for Hailes),” Merrell said.
Because McKenna was the 2012 Girl of the Year, she was sold from 2012-2013. She is part of the 30 million dolls the company has sold since 1986. The McKenna books are part of the more than 155 million American Girl books sold.
“It’s so cool because she’s a gymnast,” Merrell-Giles said.
American Girl’s goal of creating relatable characters was achieved with the gymnast-inspired doll, as Merrell-Giles sees herself in the character she shares a name and passion with.
