Meet Your New Friends

Mia and Max. Tim and Kim. Ina and Isa. And that’s just half of the 12 international dolls known as the Vanner clan. In Swedish, “vanner” means “friends”--the message behind these diverse dolls by IKEA.

Attired in ethnic clothing, the polyester-filled, cotton-covered dolls are the creations of Lena Andersson, an IKEA product developer who asked kids at the international school in Jakarta, Indonesia, to paint and draw children from different parts of the world.

“She got about 100 paintings of the childrens’ interpretations of what children of the world look like and the dolls were the result,” says IKEA spokeswoman Liz Weber. All are $8.95 and each come with a postcard that can be sent to a vanner.

“We hope the dolls will contribute to a better understanding and increased acceptance of differences,” Weber says. “It’s important that kids understand that they can be friends with all children and can live anywhere on our planet.”