July 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

This 12" duck is filled with 100-percent natural wheat and dried lavender, and after two minutes in the microwave is a warm buddy to take to bed. He will stay warm for at least an hour, and may remain warm all night if snuggled under the covers. The duck can be microwaved thousands of times, CEO Ruth Hamilton of Pritty Imports told TDmonthly, and his aroma is designed to help kids fall asleep naturally. Launch date: June 2009.

This 12" pig is filled with 100-percent natural wheat and dried lavender, and after two minutes in the microwave is a warm buddy to take to bed. He will stay warm for at least an hour, and may remain warm all night if snuggled under the covers. The pig can be microwaved thousands of times, CEO Ruth Hamilton of Pritty Imports told TDmonthly, and his aroma is designed to naturally help kids fall asleep. Launch date: June 2009.

One morning, Michael decides that he wants to be someone different. Someone exciting! So with the help of some dress-up clothes, he becomes Michael the businessman, Michael the knight, and Michael the pirate. He has a day full of adventures. But who is his favorite Michael? Come along for a day of play and pretend in this exuberant picture book about a child's boundless imagination! by Laura Heiman and illustrated by Sophie Keen. 32 Pages. Also available in Hardcover for $15.95.

By day, Eliot is quiet. He reads his books, feeds his goldfish, and watches Mr. Smith wash his car.  "Eliot is such a quiet little thing," say all the grown-ups. But the grown-ups don't know that when the clock strikes midnight . . . Eliot is a SUPERHERO! One night, Eliot receives an urgent message from the world's most important scientists. A gigantic meteor is about to smash into the Earth! Readers will laugh out loud as they follow Eliot Jones, midnight superhero, on his most important mission ever! by Anne Cottringer; illustrated by Alex T. Smith. 32 Pages. Also available in Hardcover for $15.95.

All Boris wants is a long catnap in his new cardboard box with no trouble whatsoever.  But suddenly--STAMP, STAMP, scribble, scribble--the box is taped up and zoomed off to doorsteps all over the earth and beyond... Every time Boris drifts off to sleep, someone opens the box and wakes him up. Beady eyes peek inside and loud voices shout, "This is NOT what I ordered! I DON'T want this cat!" This quirky cat tale proves there's no place like a loving home—especially if that home happens to have a plumpish pillow perfect for snooooooozing! by Leigh Hodgkinson. 32 Pages.

Emma can’t sleep a wink!  She tries drinking warm milk and even reading lots of books—but nothing seems to help.  So she decides to count sheep to help fall asleep.  All goes well until Emma reaches number 108.  Sheep 108 cannot make it over the bed!  Emma, along with 109, 110 and all the following sheep must try to find a way to help 108 jump over the bed or none of them will get to sleep.  Luckily Emma has a plan… by Ayano Imai. 32 Pages.

Designed to help children stop sucking their thumbs, this puppet and storybook includes stickers and weekly calendar to chart successes. Ballerina Sue can be worn at bedtime and throughout the day. There's also a Fireman Fred version.

These flexible hand puppets will let dino-buffs take their play to a new level. Assortment of three, approximately 8” long.

This hard plastic miniature set includes parts for 20, 28mm Imperial Roman Praetorian Guard. It includes two sprues — one with command elements, including Centurion, Standard Bearer and Musician, and the other with the majority of the troops. It also comes with shield transfers.

With 20+ felt pieces, this story board includes a sturdy handle and back pocket for storage of the pieces. This particular theme highlights sea life and various other characters for play. Launch date: 2009.

This colorful, themed set includes a carry handle and a storage pouch on the back for toting the various pieces included. It features felt fairies, flowers, insects and more. Launch date: 2009.

Outfitted with 19+ pieces, this felt storyboard set measures 12" x 15" and has a sturdy, attached handle. Pieces include pirates, weapons, treasure and other accessories. Launch date: 2009.

The Wood Grain Style Qee Collection features figurines in a variety of sizes in both light wood and dark wood designs, each created with a unique pattern like real wood. The collectibles are available in 2.5" with keychain attachment, 8", 9" and 16". Launch date: 2009.

Double Ladderball consists of placing each ladder 25 feet apart, and each team consisting of one or more players stands at one ladder and  tosses their colored bolas (either red or blue) at the other ladder. Bolas that hang onto any of the crossbars scores points for the tosser. Top bar is 3 points, middle bar is 2 points, and the bottom bar is worth 1 point.

Metal Ladderball is exactly like Ladderball, but built tough for durability against wear and tear. Similar to the rules of Double Ladderball, Metal Ladderball consists of placing each ladder 25 feet apart, and each team consisting of one or more players stands at one ladder and tosses their colored bolas (either red or blue) at the other ladder.

BinkiBear is a teddy bear with a pacifier attached, allowing for both baby and parent to find the pacifier. If baby loses the pacifier while sleeping, he or she can easily locate the pacifier via BinkiBear and fall back asleep, allowing for better sleep for both child and parents.

The infant hoodie from BinkiBear is colorful and comes complete with a long tail hood plus pockets for baby to explore.

Available in three colors. The Long Tail Hat is soft and warm and features a tail extending out of the hat.

This hat is square in shape, allowing a little child to easily stand out in a crowd.

2-Player Perpetual Commotion is the original Perpetual Commotion specially designed for two-player speed and excitement. Play as many cards as you can into a center Arena to earn points. Gain extra points by being the first to empty your Feeders pile—but watch out! A single roll of the eight-sided die can change your score.

For 2 to 6 players, this hide-and-seek game challenges players to find featured objects (revealed from a Find Me tile) within their set of Keep Me cards. The featured object may be hidden in the card so players have to have a sharp eye. First player to collect all matching cards win. Game includes 40 Find Me tiles, 60 Keep Me cards and instructions.

This Fling-a-Ring game involves flinging lifesaver rings at flamingoes to save them from being eaten by alligators. The player with the highest score wins. Though time is of the essence, accuracy means much more than speed. Game includes 7 flamingoes, 48 lifesavers, 4 lifeboats, 2 alligators, game board and instructions.

YoYo's in your neighborhood! See YoYo as he goes next door for a visit. Children can look for YoYo under the flaps on every spread to see what he's going to do next! Written and illustrated by Jeannette Rowe. 8 Pages.

Tom has a problem with his tail--he doesn't like it. He wants to wag his tail like Sam the sheepdog, or swish his tail like Henry the horse. But Tom's tail is too short and curly. With the help of some mud, Tom's tail becomes long and straight. But it's also sharp! When Tom wags his tail, it pokes anyone standing by. His brothers and sisters kick him out of the sty because they're tired of being poked. In the middle of the night, as Tom's sleeping outside, it begins to rain. And the rain washes away the mud on Tom's tail, making it soft and curly again! By Linda Jennings, illustrated by Tim Warnes. 32 Pages.