Review: 40506 LEGO® Fabuland® Tribute from LEGO® House

It's no secret that New Elementary has a soft spot for the LEGO® FABULAND® theme. We've covered it on many occasions, examining its colours, exclusive elements, discontinued moulds and legacy.

Evidently, we're not the only ones with a fondness for Fabuland, as it is the subject of this year's LEGO® House exclusive set, 40506 LEGO Fabuland Tribute. This will be the sixth LEGO House exclusive set to be released and you can read more about the design process in our article covering the reveal of the LEGO Fabuland Tribute set. 

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

40506 LEGO Fabuland Tribute

• Release date: 1 March 2025
• Pieces: 1026
• Price: 649 DKK

Availability is limited as the set can only be purchased in the LEGO Store in LEGO House, Billund.

What is FABULAND?

©️ 1985 The LEGO Group

For those unaware, the LEGO FABULAND theme ran from 1979 until 1989 and featured colorful, easy-to-build models inhabited by animal-headed figures, aimed towards children in the 3 to 7 age range. It was originally developed to fill a perceived gap between young children moving from LEGO® DUPLO® to LEGO® System elements. The line also pioneered the use of storytelling in a play theme, with distinct characters developed through story books, audio plays, and a TV show.

Recolours

Five elements have received recolours in set 40506. 

• 4x Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Lime (6529319 | 68013)
• 2x Hinge Plate 2 x 2 Locking with 1 Finger on Top in Lime (6529320 | 92582)
• 2x Tile Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Bar in Yellow (6527829 | 20482, 53968)
• 2x Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side, 7 Teeth in Yellow (6529318 | 50340)
• 2x Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side, 7 Teeth in Lime (6529317 | 50340)

While the Tile Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Bar has appeared in yellow previously, the version in this set has a different Design ID (20482) and Element ID (6527829), but there is no discernible difference.

Decorations

The set features only one exclusive printed element, used for the nameplate on the model. 

• 1x Tile 1 x 8 with 'LEGO Fabuland Tribute' print in Black (6549683)

The tile is printed using the Cera Pro corporate LEGO typeface, which is notable as models in this collection released prior to 2022 used a version of the Chalet font.

Rare

The following elements have each appeared in three sets or fewer.

• 1x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 2 x 3 x 1 1/3 in White (6458581 | 49097)
• 4x Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 No Studs in Bright Green) (6523385 | 37352)
• 4x Slope Curved 1 x 4 x 1 2/3 No Studs in Bright Green (6508111 | 3573)
• 2x Minifig Head Plain [Vented Stud - 2 Holes] in Yellow (6454718 | 28621)
• 3x Plate Special 1 x 4 Rounded with 2 Open Studs in Yellow) (6506036 | 77845)
• 10x Plate Round Corner 2 x 2 with 1 x 1 Cutout in White (6499714 | 79491)
• 6x Plate Special 2 x 2 x 2/3 with Two Studs On Side and Two Raised - Updated Version in Lime (6470179 | 4304)
• 8x Plate 1 x 10 in Bright Green (6464981 | 4477)

Sticker

The set features a single sticker depicting Edward Elephant, Joe Crow, Dr. Lucy Lamb, and Clive Crocodile visiting a Fabuland-styled version of the LEGO House. The sticker is sized to fit on a 4 x 4 Tile (1751).  The sticker was illustrated by the talented Dídac Pérez Soriano, Associate Master Builder at LEGO House. A selection of Dídac's development sketches for this sticker can be seen in our article covering the reveal of the LEGO Fabuland Tribute set. 

Building process

The first part of the model to be assembled is the 16x48 base, which features a nameplate comprised of two printed 1 x 8 tiles and a patch of grass that is achieved by mounting a wall of layered bricks sideways.

The figures are constructed next, with an identical assembly for the legs, arms, and torso of each figure. The building process of the figures is broken up by assembly of the heads and accessories.

The four brick built characters represent Edward Elephant, Clive Crocodile, Joe Crow and Dr Lucy Lamb. While Edward Elephant is arguably the most well known thanks to becoming the lead character in the tv show Edward and Friends, the rarest here is Joe Crow.  This particular version of Joe Crow in his red pilot cap with goggles was only in one set, 3671 Airport which was released in 1984.

 

Speaking of accessories, the figures' accessories correspond roughly to elements found in the original LEGO Fabuland range. These include an accordion (4335), picture, a 4L bar representing Edward's baton, a tuba (4434), drum sticks (fabupn0019), and a drum with neck harness (fabupn0018). While the brick-built accessories may not be as detailed as the moulded originals when directly compared, they do a successful job emulating their vintage counterparts.

This is also true of the final construction in the set, which is intended to capture the likeness of the Fabuland Tree (9213). While certainly sufficient, the rendition of the tree does not quite capture the circular leaf clusters that characterized the silhouette of the original.

Finished model

To complete model, the four figures and tree are attached to the base via a series of 2 x 2 Plate with Pin on Bottom (2476, 48241). This connection keeps the different parts of the model firmly in place, while allowing them to be independently rotated and posed for display.

Compared directly, the brick-built characters measure between two and three times the size of the original figures, and feature an elongated body and considerably smaller hands. While these two changes are disappointing, they are understandable given the design constraints of a limited-release set such as this.

Ultimately, this set is likely to appeal most to those with fond childhood memories of the original LEGO Fabuland toys, books, and TV show. To those without such direct connections to the theme, this set likely loses some lustre, as it lacks the broader appeal of past LEGO House exclusives which were based on experiences at the LEGO House or brand iconography. However, I would argue this not a bad thing, as it opens up the door to other lesser-known themes appearing in future LEGO House sets.

 

READ MORE: Parts review: sets 42206 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 and 42207 Ferrari SF-24 from LEGO® Technic

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