June 2010 New Specialty Toys — Gifts

“Time Out To Rock," filled with up-tempo power-pop tunes, mixes songs that are “just for fun” with songs about such topics as welcoming the new kid at school or dealing with bullies. The first track, “Welcome to Our School,” sets the energy level on high with an irrepressible dance beat and clean playing that doesn’t clutter the lyrics. Rocking on from there, the pace slows at album’s end with the poetic, reflective “Hollow Tree.”

Based on the Gospel of Luke, this story brings the dramatic events of Jesus's birth to life. "With beautiful illustrations, this timeless story is told in a way that will easily introduce children to God's grace for a fallen world," Rosemary Parkinson, Corporate Communications, Concordia Publishing House, told TDmonthly.

The Hear Me Read Bible is designed to help children learn to read and learn about Jesus. This level one series is comprised of 18 complete stories that contain 25 words or less. "Each story uses colorful illustrations, limited words and repetition to help children develop reading vocabulary and skills," Rosemary Parkinson of Concordia Publishing House Corporate Communications told TDmonthly.

When the day has ended and everyone else has fallen asleep, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure with his friend the Moon. Their unusual journey is described in lyrical verse, creating a enchanting story that celebrates the serene beauty of the world at night. "The lyrical text and poetic voice adds a soothing factor to this imaginative tale," Barefoot Books Group Communications Director Leah Lesser told TDmonthly.
— The Reading Tub praised the book for its “nice combination of reality reading (seeing one's glow in the water) and fantasy (the boy and moon sharing a night-time flight) that will appeal to all readers.” The reviewer added that “the notes at the back will be wonderful for expanding the book beyond the poetry when our toddler gets a little bit older.”
— Sheela from The Joy of My Life noted that the “delightful and dreamy” illustration “evokes a magical night world in this book, and, accompanied by rhythmic verse has become a bedtime must-read over the last few weeks in our house.” Sheela liked that the book contains factual scientific information while “still preserving the imaginative and magical world personifying the moon through the motley illustrations that project the ethereal story.”

As the official symbol for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the image of the Inuksuk was everywhere. This book teaches children all about life in the Arctic and these amazing stone statues. The acrostic poem, complemented by paintings, celebrates the Arctic landscape, culture and traditions. "Words are written in both English and Inuktitut, with an Inuktitut pronunciation guide included at the back of the book, so children can sound out the words in both languages," Kendal Gerard, Marketing Associate, Owlkids, told TDmonthly.

TDmonthly Review:

Please click here to read TDmonthly´s Toy Expert review of this product.

With more than 200 drawing and coloring activities, ARTastic! is designed to fuel kids' creativity, teach them drawing basics, and inspire their minds. Kids will complete pictures by adding their own creations, learn to draw simple images themselves, explore different colors and more. "High production values mean kids can use whichever scribbling or coloring medium they choose," Kendal Gerard, Marketing Associate, Owlkids, told TDmonthly.

This lively "un"cyclopedia gives young readers an eye-opening broad basis of general knowledge. From a tour of the human skeleton and the five senses to modern technology and inventions, from life in a desert to a day at the fire station, children will be delighted and fascinated at every turn of the page. "Special features throughout make information fun and accessible: Kids' Questions sidebars, What About You? bubbles, Figure It Out! activities, Did You Know? sidebars, Number Time bubbles, Day-in-the-Life pages, and more," Kendal Gerard, Marketing Associate, Owlkids, told TDmonthly.

This collection for kids who are just developing craft skills shows readers how to transform common household materials into costumes, puppets, toys, games and more. The book contains simple step-by-step instructions and photographs. "I Can Make That! consolidates the 5 books in the original I Can Make... series so this is the ultimate treasure trove of art ideas for crafty kids," Owlkids Marketing Associate Kendal Gerard told TDmonthly.

My Beastly Book of Monsters offers kids the opportunity to scribble, doodle and reconfigure over 150 monstrous creatures. Tie a monster's shoes together, draw a creature that's part monster and part pickle, or scare a monster with a mouse. Each amusing scenario encourages kids to use their imaginations and their budding artistic skills.

My Beastly Book of Silly Things offers young children the opportunity to scribble, doodle, and explore over 150 silly scenarios. Armed with only a pack of crayons or markers, children interpret visual cues and solve funny mix-ups in their own distinctive way. What objects will they throw into the garbage? What's about to be hit by the little man's club? And just what are the silliest things they can think of? The ridiculous possibilities are endless.

Everyday childhood activities, such as an excursion to the park, splashing in the bathtub or fixing a snack in the kitchen, can prompt many questions from young children. This special edition of Why? celebrates the book's 10th anniversary and provides kid-friendly explanations for nearly 100 of the most common questions kids ask. "Each of the questions included in this book was carefully selected from a pool of thousands of questions submitted by real children," Owlkids Marketing Associate Kendal Gerard told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2002 American Association for the Advancement of Science Best Books for Children; 2002 Canadian Toy Testing Council 25 Great Books for Children

Designed to be both entertaining and educational, Animal Babies is an interactive book about the birth and growth of animals. It is full of tabs, flaps and touch-and-feel elements, and includes a 4'6" x 3' pullout poster with life-size images of baby African animals.

These removable, warm, fluffy inserts fit into mY Design paintable boots. They can also be used as slippers and are machine washable.

Aquatic Universe soft toys include a starfish, whale, tortoise and octopus. They are handmade from organic cotton under Fair Trade standards by a small women's association in Lima, Peru.

These Lucky Charm Bracelets comes in assorted styles and colors with one size fits all design.

Charms include Peace, Hearts, Dance, Best Friends, Peace/Love/Happiness.

$60.00 per dozen.

This 2.75" x 2" x 1" flashlight is available in ladybug and honeybee versions, and is designed to be both cute and eco-friendly. It requires no batteries; simply crank the side handle to charge.

This environmentally friendly plastic stapler is designed to be kid-safe and comes in dog and cat versions. It eliminates the need for staples by cutting out tiny strips of paper and using the strips to stitch up to five pieces of paper together.

This 4" by 2.5"  flashlight is designed to be both cute and eco-friendly. It requires no batteries; simply crank the side handle to charge. A bright LED bulb and pink carrying strap are included.

This selection from author Will Dodson consists of six oversized movie poster postcards and a flat-spined book filled with vintage stills. "Cult Films" focuses on the sometimes campy, sometimes gruesome, sometimes thrilling movies that have attracted a small yet dedicated knot of fans over the decades. This collection is vividly illustrated with black-and-white and color images throughout. "There’s something about the quirky and bizarre nature of cult films that appeals to the movie-watcher in all of us. Cult Films strikes that same chord, covering ground never before seen by non-hardcore cult movie enthusiasts," Langenscheidt Publishing Group Marketing Assistant Andrea Sper told TDmonthly.

Sticky Pixies Wall Art Kit comes with 8" x 10" hardboard-framed fairy wall art and a ribbon to attach it to a wall. The fairy wears a Velcro-attached dress that can be mixed and matched with other Sticky Pixies dresses, one of which is included in a tri-fold hardboard armoire. This armoire holds up to three dresses, as well as fairy crowns and hats that are sold separately. "Sticky Pixies is unique in design and is always interactive," Founder Tyanne Hitchcock of Morgan Evan-Thorne told TDmonthly.

StickyPixies fairytale tees are interactive. Each costume is attached with Velcro, and children can remove the costume to add a different costume. The costumes include many different themes, including fairies, mermaids, butterflies and knights.

These fun shaped rubber band bracelets glow in the dark and come in assorted shapes. Sold in 12 piece bags.

These fashionable barrettes come in a variety of colors and patterns and feature a silicone gel grip strip on the inside for no-slip wear. The clip is glueless, made with a special adhesive. The barrettes are made in Canada.

These fully adjustable headbands are designed to fit any head, from infant to adult (26"). They are made in Canada and come in a variety of colors and patterns.