A tiny build with a few new pieces.
TL;DR:
- Original Price: $9.99
- Pieces: 95
- Minifigure(s): Leo, Alba
- Sticker Sheet: No
- Pros: interesting new botanical pieces
- Cons: minidolls, small build
Assembly:
Bag #1 - Leo, Axolotl boat
Bag #2 - Alba, Swamp scene
Leftover Pieces
- Interesting Pieces:
- The two axolotls are super cute, and each one has a different face printing. They do a good job of making the popular salamander look even more appealing, with dual-molded transparent parts for their gills and dorsal/ventral ridges. They fit on a single stud underneath.
- The sunflower piece in bright pink is new to me, though a quick check on BrickLink shows that it first appeared in last year's Mini Bonsai set. Whatever the case, I'm glad to get more of these pieces in different colors.
- The bright green round 1x1 with drooping leaves is the star of this set (and to be honest the reason I got the set at all, so that I could use this piece in my Urban Jungle Moc). The simple connection, with an open stud, really maximizes the ways it can be utilized (for example, upside-down on a bar, as in my Urban Jungle build); it also looks really nice, a good blend of naturalistic and stylized—as LEGO pieces ought to be. It's a pity the set only comes with one, but this new mold (in various colors) is already being used across nine different sets; here's hoping it gets put in even more in the future.
- Similarly to the sunflower pieces, the peony rose pieces in trans-yellow are new to me, but were actually first used (as lamps, which is a great idea) in 2024's Glinda & Elphaba's Dormitory set.
- Pain Points:
- The life jackets only fit around minidoll necks—they cannot be used on minifigures. I've noticed this problem before, where minidolls and minifigures sometimes have accessories that can't be used by the other figure types. Microdolls (like Alba in this set) are particularly noteworthy in this regard, since their little hand holes are too small for anything but a pin, such as on the antler pieces. Pair this with the regular minidolls' lack of flexibility and you can see why I'm not a fan.
- Play Features:
- Build Together: since each the set is split in half—each with its bag, instructions, and minifigure—this set can be built by two people at the same time.
• Overall: This was a very straightforward set; many of the build techniques were simple stacks (as in the swamp scene) or the most basic of SNOT techniques (like on the boat). This didn't mean it wasn't fun, just not noteworthy for creative or surprising approaches.
The axolotl boat is cute, with its massive printed face tile, antler gills, and swishy tail, but there are some color issues that keep it from being really good.
The swamp scene does have some nice botanical elements, especially the use of dark green round jumper plates to represent the leaves of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) plants. I'm not sure what the trans-blue bricks are supposed to represent, unless it's to signify that that part of the build is underwater (appropriately for a swamp); but if that's the case then the lotus and other plants on the baseplate should be put up on transparent bricks as well, so they look like they're floating too.
It was a fun little build, and very cute overall. I could see this being popular with younger builders—I was definitely not the target demographic. It feels a little expensive for what you get, but according to BrickEconomy it's only 11¢ per piece, which is pretty average. Also at $10 it is a good impulse set, to be a small gift or an addition to larger present, and is cute enough to be appealing despite its size.
Score (out of 5 🧱):
- Price: 🧱🧱🧱🧱
- Process: 🧱🧱🧱
- Presentation: 🧱🧱🧱🧱
- Play: 🧱🧱🧱
- Pieces: 🧱🧱🧱🧱
- Total: 🧱🧱🧱🧱
Lego Instructions: here
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