Elmer the Patchwork Elephant has been a nursery favorite since the first book was published in 1989. Now a modern classic, Elmer is known to millions. Elmer is not like the rest of the elephants in the jungle — he is always joking and making the other elephants laugh. Oh, and he’s a multi-colored patchwork elephant, too. In David McKee’s vibrant, colorful story, Elmer discovers that his elephant friends don’t laugh at him because he is different; they laugh because he’s the most happy-go-lucky and ever-so-appealing, loveable elephant in the world. David McKee, through Elmer, subtly indicates that it’s OK to be different.

The 12" duck is from the Amazing Baby line, which creates products based on accepted research of how babies develop within the first two years of life. The duck features teethers and rattles, crinkles and twists.

Part of a line inspired by renowned children’s author and illustrator Eric Carle, this large huggable plush toy is a true cuddly friend. Children can pretend to follow the caterpillar as it grows, and may want to bring it along for story time with the popular book by the same name. A hand puppet, pen and finger puppet are also available. Launch date: February 11, 2007. 

Under the Build-A-Bear Workshop license, this 12” tall plush bear has a heart inside and lets children practice how to dress and undress. Children will have so much fun zipping, snapping, toggling, tying, buckling and “Velcroing” their new best friend’s clothing. 

This incredibly soft plush toy can be used as a puppet or a little friend for snuggling. The bear’s clothing reads, “My Beary Best Friend.”

These baseball-sized, fabric balls feature bright colors and patterns for stimulating sensory play with a classic toy. They come in a see-through tote. The product was a Platinum Winner in the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards.

This flat bear has a crinkled body with chewy teether hands, easy-to-grab rings, and various patterns and materials. It was a Platinum Winner in the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards.

This fabric book features various shapes and textures for little ones to explore. It is a 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner.

This soft and cuddly 13” canine is allergy tested and allows children to “cuddle with confidence.” The asthma-friendly guidelines are as follows: Put the toy inside a freezer bag and place it in a 10-degree or colder freezer for 24 hours; then, machine wash cold (delicate cycle) and tumble dry low. This process should be repeated every four weeks.

It’s not often that one sees a stuffed toy manatee, but doggone it if the thing isn’t adorable in plush form. Manatees are currently endangered in real life, but Kids Preferred is making sure that isn’t the case in the toy realm. In addition to being machine washable, this manatee is asthma friendly and allergy tested.