November 2008 Notable Toys — All

For the dog lover! Mr. Chris the Pug stuffed animal from Fiesta’s High Society dog series. Plush fabrics and very soft. Posh satin-like fabrics and beaded dog bone decoration. Even a curly pug tail. Not a toy. Decoration purposes only.

This plush donkey is covered in a Mexican serape blanket. The soft and cuddly plush donkey also has a sweet burro face. A touch of the Southwest.

Soft and cuddly plush penguin puppet is great for imaginative play and puppet storytelling. Just add imagination. Great play value as a stuffed toy too.

Plush 21” giraffe rocker. For extra fun giraffe features a “giggle” sound chip. Sturdy. Great for going on safari, reading a book, or watching TV. Adds a special fun jungle touch to any room décor.

Some stretch, some length and so many ways to wear it. These versatile pants allow the waistband to be worn to cover the belly, to cover the waist for extra support, or around the hips for style. The basic black pant goes well with other clothes and is made of relaxing and versatile fabric, to allow for everyday wear.

The BellaBand is designed with pregnant women's bodies in mind. The top hem is wide and flat to minimize visible lines under women's tops. The main body of the BellaBand is seamless-knit so there are no side seams to show if the band is folded over. The fabric is designed to stretch and recover to fit throughout pregnancy and beyond. The bottom hem is double-sewn to better grip pants, skirts, and shorts to prevent the BellaBand from riding up.

Lounge in it. Work in it. Live in it. The Everyday Cami is a lush, seamless-knit camisole with a crêpe finish that's perfect for wearing with everything. It's super-soft and cut extra-long to keep one's belly covered throughout her entire pregnancy.

The Belly Leggings from Ingrid & Isabel are made of a luxurious, ultra-soft knit that stretches to gently hug the hips, legs and belly. The high seamless waistband gives the belly full coverage and room to grow while the legs are cut long for year-round wear. Made with a changing body in mind, the waistband can be worn folded at the waistline in early pregnancy, up high and over the belly for full coverage as it grows and under the belly for support in the final weeks of pregnancy. Layer with tunics, dresses, skirts or a comfy long t-shirt.

The Ruched Tank is a seamless tank with substantial ruching at the sides to create body-friendly pleating around the torso throughout all stages of pregnancy. The tank will give subtle pleating around the body in early pregnancy, a smooth, supportive silhouette on a blossomed belly, and heavy pleating after baby to disguise a soft, recovering belly. Provides for figure-flattering effects of a ruched tank while keeping all the comfort, support, stretch and recovery of a seamless knit layer that will last throughout and after pregnancy.

KooKeys offers a line of plush animals with online, interactive digital counterparts known as the Virtual Koo. Each plush KooKey comes with a special key that unlocks the online world for children to explore, interact, play, and learn.

Mansuba: Challenge of the Pharaohs  is the second board game set in the World of Terris. In it players learn the ancient Fey game of the Imouha Pharaohs. Become the first player to move your pieces across the board, beguiling opponent’s pieces in the process. Speed and daring play will win the game, but beware lest your pieces be beguiled in turn.

Battue: Walls of Tarsos is the first expansion for Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords, a strategy board game for 2-4 players. As the battle deepens, players will find new challenges to overcome and more rewards for success. Although the goal, to loot the richest sections of town to prove your right to lead the Golden Horde, is the same, the means to that end are much different. Rivals arise and defenders band together within the city to prevent the pillage. All of Red Juggernaut’s games are set in the world of Terris, a world where everyone can perform enchantments and powerful ritualists shape society.

Rooted in the World of Terris, a brutal, dark fantasy setting envisioned by authors Robin Laws and Scott Hungerford, Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords is a strategy board game in which players take control of a horde of Horse Lords bent on looting Tarsos, the City of Brass Pillars. This strategy game is easy-to-learn, fast-playing, fun, and keeps players involved in the game even when it’s not their turn. The player who manages to control the choicest sections of the city and has the most loot at the end of the game is the winner. Further expansions will introduce new rules and options as well as allow additional players to join the game.

The appearance of a sandal is designed onto these socks. Now your baby can wear sandals throughout the year. This box includes 6 pairs of “sandals” in 6 colors. Jazzy Toes socks have non-skid grips on the bottom of the socks to help infants learn to walk . They socks come in a ready-to-mail gift box.

These Mary Janes designs come with a flower on the buckle. These socks for girls come with elasticized ankles and non-skid grips that help babies learn to walk without slipping. With six different colors in the set, each ready-to-mail gift box contains six pairs of socks. The full collection includes 12 original designs and a variety pack for both boys and girls.

This sleek, smart (and always safe) shooter sends super durable, specially-designed bands flying in a snap! Load up a band and pull back the firing arm until the spin action release sends the soft ammo soaring. This shooter turns stretch power into super speed! It’s a souped-up, tricked-out rubber band gun with no trigger necessary.

Looking for realistic golf action on a smaller scale? This sized-down, top-performing mini-golf set includes a driver, iron and putter for your pint-sized golfer. Designed with durable construction and detailed workmanship, Li'l Tiger Golf™ features authentic bamboo shafts, leather-like handle grips and a heavy-duty travel bag. Set up a game straight away with the included flags!

The non-stop action of traditional tennis can now be served up whenever, wherever with Top Spin Table Tennis™, the ultimate active indoor game! Serve, smash and volley your way through a manic match in mere minutes. The set includes everything you need for high action tennis on any table and comes with a durable mesh bag for travel or storage.

Get prepared for some extreme bow action with the Surefire™ Compound Bow X2™! These safe, soft foam arrows fly over 100 feet. The guide wire provides easy, accurate aiming while the dual power cords add maximum distance! Just aim your arrow and let it fly! Set includes 1 bow, 3 arrows and 1 arrow holder. Patent pending.

This dapper penguin sports soft fur and vinyl feet.
— Aurora plush, such as huskies, polar bears and penguins, are top sellers at The Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, Operations Manager Susan Miller told TDmonthly in summer 2008.

The arm of this colorful excavator is moveable, and the cabin rotates for added play value.
— Six of 66 retailers named Playmobil as an overall best seller in July 2008.
— “[It’s] probably a good 40 percent of my sales each month,” Linda Hanzelko of Timmy’s Toy Chest in Lake Mary, Fla., told TDmonthly.
— According to Randy Austin, owner of The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., Playmobil items were best sellers at her store during summer 2008.

Indiana Jones has the treasure map but will first have to make it through the gate if he wants a chance at finding the Holy Grail. The set includes the following: Indiana Jones with accessories (hat, whip and bag), Professor Henry Jones, a guard, a motorbike with a detachable sidecar, and a gate that moves up and down. Please check with company, as not all LEGO sets are available in the specialty market.
— Nine of 66 specialty retailers named LEGO as a best-selling gift for boys in a July 2008 TDmonthly survey.
— "Any new LEGO that comes in is out the door,” said Tina Benoit, operations manager for Kidstown in South Burlington, Vt., which sells about 50 units of LEGO per month.
— LEGOs are a top-10 best seller for Randy Austin of The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., she told TDmonthly in summer 2008.

Zoobies are three-in-one plush/pillow/blankets that come in a variety of animals. Now Baby can have her own Zoobie sized just for her with Baby Zoobies. Baby Zoobies have a detachable blanket that measures just 23" x 29.5". They fit nicely in diaper bags. They also feature a furry "comfort corner" to please Baby's love of textures. Diaper bag not included. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

These miniature versions of Zoobie Pets stick to the three-in-one concept, acting as a stuffed animal, pillow and blanket, but are sized for babies. The blanket inside features a furry  "comfort corner" and is 23" x 29.5". Various styles are available: Mashaka the Monkey, Ellema the Elephant, Tama the Tortoise, Hada the Hippo, Kojo the Croc and Jafaru the Giraffe. Launch date: September 1, 2008.