Doc McStuffins Training Army Al

In Doc McStuffins: Training Army Al, Doc is on a mission to help her little brother Donny find a worthy toy to take on his Badger Scout camping trip. This isn’t Donny’s first camping trip and many of the toys have already been through the grueling toy torture associated with the rough boy play of the Scouts. What is there to do when none of the toys want to be the next to go? In steps Army Al, a soldier dedicated to his boy and ready to take on the toil of camping.

As a standalone book, like many Doc McStuffins spinoffs, Training Army Al does not stand up to muster. Disney just hasn’t figured out a way to capture the lively animation of the show in its printed products. But as a companion book for dedicated Doc McStuffins fans, this book may be a wonderful reminder of the values of hard work, preparedness, and friend loyalty that this episode encourages. Beyond this supplemental role, it is difficult to recommend this book. When stripped of the quirky movement, interactive sing-alongs, and detailed characterization crafted in each show, coupled with the stripped down, disconnected writing, Doc McStuffins is a stuffy bore.