Young model a real doll

A few eagle-eyed shoppers did a double take on Sunday at the American Girl store at The Falls.

A young lady was walking around the space by the front entrance, bearing a striking resemblance to the poster announcing the retailer’s doll of 2016, exotic adventurer Lea Clark.

“Look! It’s the same girl from the catalog,” said a patron, who asked for a picture.

Alannah Keyser gladly obliged.

The 11-year-old, a fifth grader at The Miami Children’s Museum, was chosen out of dozens of models for the cover as well as for inside pictures of the AG mailer, shot at Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables and Everglades Outpost Wildlife Refuge And Rescue in Homestead.

Mom Zoila Alvarez was super proud and says fame hasn’t changed her daughter.

“Alannah doesn’t have any vanity,” said Alvarez. “She’s actually very shy. She doesn’t want me to tell anybody about her [success].”

Ironically, the brown eyed, brunette with a sweet smile doesn’t own one American Girl, a line of collectible dolls that retail for over $100 and depict various girls with eclectic interests.

“She’s an animal lover,” said Alvarez. “She never really liked dolls.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Young model a real doll."