Review: LEGO 40530 Jane Goodall Tribute (gift with purchase)

March 2, 2022 | 17

With the March 2022 release window now open and a plethora of new sets available on the market, there’ll be an upcoming LEGO GWP (gift with purchase) to help convince you to part with your hard-earned cash on LEGO.com – 40530 Jane Goodall Tribute!

We had a sneak peek at the set a couple of days ago, but I can now reveal that the LEGO Jane Goodall Tribute set will be available as a gift with purchase from 3 – 15 March 2022 on LEGO.com or your local LEGO store, and will be free with purchases of  US$120 / €120 / £120.

Update (3/3): The set has been delayed in Australia due to shipping and customs delays. LEGO Australia have provided a tentative date of 8 March of when you can expect the set on LEGO.com/LEGO Certified Stores/Legoland Discovery Centre, but due to the floods in NSW, it might be delayed further.

Let’s jump straight into a quick review of the set!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

40530 Jane Goodall Tribute – Set Details

Name: 40530 Jane Goodall Tribute
Set Number: 40530
Pieces:
Price: N/A (free with purchases of US$120 / €120 / £120 on LEGO.com
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: Gift with Purchase / International Women’s Day
LEGO Designer:
Availability: 3-15 March 2022

This is LEGO’s second year producing a gift with purchase to commemorate International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March 2022. This year’s theme is Break the Bias, where you’re invited to imagine:

A gender equal world

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women’s equality.

After last year’s well-received 40450 Amelia Earheart Tribute, it’s fantastic to see LEGO honour Dr Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, and renowned primatologist and ethologist.

Dr Jane Goodall produced groundbreaking research, rocking the scientific community by challenging two long-standing beliefs of the day: that only humans could construct and use tools, and that chimpanzees were vegetarians.

There’s a Jane Goodall documentary on National Geographic which is a great watch if you want to fully learn about her story, rise and research.

The instruction manual has a lovely foreword and introduction to Dr Goodall’s work, and set’s the tone for the set.

There is one sticker, which is used for the named plaque on the set.

Here’s a look at the Dr Jane Goodall minifigure, which I must say is a spitting image of Dr Goodall. Her white hair, and facial features are captured really well, and she comes with a sand green shirt, and tan trousers – suitably dressed for a research project in the rainforest.

Here’s a look at her back printing – she doesn’t have an alternate face which is fine as the printing does a great job of capturing her likeness.

The set, like Amelia Earhart is constructed on a black base, and features a rich jungle-scene, where Dr Goodall is in her element, studying chimpanzees.

It’s a pretty simple build, but there are some great landscaping techniques used here, such as this stream coursing through the jungle.

Three chimpanzees are included in the set – we last saw these chimpanzees in 2012’s LEGO Minifigures Series 7’s Jungle Boy, and Series 5’s Zookeeper, which means that these adorable apes make a return after a nearly 10-year hiatus – I’m glad the moulds didn’t go extinct and we get 3 of them included in the set.

There are also 2 brick-built trees, with generous canopies and foliage, along with hanging vines extending from the leaves.

Apart from that, flower studs, rocks and saplings are used to give the ground some texture, and introduce more landscaping and organic detail.

Here’s a look at the stickered plaque bearing her name.

Oh, and you get plenty of spare elements as well.

What I liked:

• Some nice landscaping detail used to create a lush jungle
• Jane Goodall minifigure design is spot-on
• Includes 3 LEGO Chimpanzees

What I didn’t like: 

• Model design isn’t too interesting, and can look quite messy
• Doesn’t have the same display value as Amelia Earhart
• Should be a general release set and now a GWP

Final Thoughts:

This is the second year that LEGO have committed to observing and commemorating International Women’s Day with a set paying homage to historic, and influential women, which should be commended for.

Dr Jane Goodall is an inspiration, pioneer and is almost on par as David Attenborough in her contribution to primate research, awareness, and conservation, so she’s a fantastic pick.

That said, comparisons are bound to happen, and I didn’t like this as much as 40450 Amelia Earheart Tribute, which has tremendous display presence.

While some of the landscaping details, and foliage techniques were enjoyable, I felt like they didn’t introduce anything new, and it could’ve been improved by having the chimpanzees actually wielding a stick, poking at a termite nest, to ground it in some reality.

The Jane Goodall minifigure is a fantastic rendition of the beloved primatologist, and if you’re a fan of her work or influence, she’s worth the pickup.

It doesn’t take away the importance of this set, and what LEGO are doing to champion incredible women, but I feel like the impact could’ve been greater if this was a general release set, instead of gating it behind a US$120 purchase, which is quite a significant sum for those plenty of disposable income.

It also diminishes the ability for parents to pick this set up for their daughters to help inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists, if you need to cough up US$120 for it, or even more if you’re unlucky enough to be in the UK where the threshold is 120GBP.

Great gesture by LEGO, but could’ve been so much better, so I can only recommend this if you have the means to buy it, and there are sets on your wishlist.

I just think of the impact LEGO could make selling this for US$15 or US$20 instead..

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Build [2] – Some nice foliage and landscaping techniques here, but was very straight forward and simple
Real Value [3] – Jane Goodall minifigure and 3 chimpanzees are great, but the GWP threshold feels a little high
Innovation [2] – Nothing too innovative introduced here, but I did like the graphic design for Jane’s minifigure
Coolness [3] – A set that celebrates the Jane Goodall makes this quite a special one
Keepability [3] – I feel like the model itself is quite forgettable, but Jane Goodall immortalised as a minifigure is pretty neat

Thanks for reading this review of 40530 Jane Goodall Tribute! I’ll leave you with a slight modification I made to the minifigure, featuring my favourite torso of all time.

The LEGO Jane Goodall Tribute set will be available as a gift with purchase from 3 – 15 March 2022 on LEGO.com or your local LEGO store, and will be free with purchases of  US$120 / €120 / £120.

What do you think of this year’s International Women’s Day set? Which female icon would you like to see next year?

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review