July 2010 New Specialty Toys — All

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.”

In this novelty peek-a-boo book, children are invited to look through the holes on every other page to answer the repeating refrain, "Who’s coming to see how my garden grows?" The energetic, rhyming text introduces all sorts of creatures that are busy foraging and frolicking in the garden.

With 40 interactive activities and games, Kids’ Garden encourages children to engage with the outdoors and appreciate the green world around them. Each double-sided card has step-by-step instructions with colorful collage artwork.
Awards: 2010 Ippy Award Best Children's Interactive Category

Train Time includes two fold-out scenes and more than 50 reusable stickers. Packaged in a self-contained carry tote, it is available in 40 Sticker Tote designs. "The reusable stickers offer hours of play over and over again. Parents often comment that it's easy to take their kids on planes and to restaurants because they know their child will be entertained," Peaceable Kingdom Marketing and Operations Manager Donna Modrell told TDmonthly.
— In a January 2012 survey about arts and crafts toys, Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthly that other than Sticky Mosaics from the Orb Factory, her best seller in the category was stickers from Peaceable Kingdom. They sell between 15 and 20 each month.

Even though it doesn’t have a door, Chicken, Pig and Cow love everything about the home that Girl made for them out of Popsicle sticks. Everything but Dog, who lives outside, but whose drooling makes it feel as if it’s raining inside. When Cow is left alone one day, she ends up making friends with Dog. Best of all, Dog knocks down two Popsicle sticks creating a door, so that now their home is truly perfect.
Awards: 2010 Great Books for 2010, Canadian Toy Testing Council; 2009 Toronto Public Library First and Best List; 2009 Pennsylvania Center for the Book Best Books for Family Literacy; 2009 Ontario Library Association Best Bets List; 2009 Cdn Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens; 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards finalist

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.

A pony in a field moves a child to play giddy-up on her father’s shoulders; a plane high above invites kids to pretend they are birds soaring in the sky. Everyday things, seen here in striking photos, are the catalyst for imaginative play, which is captured in lively illustrations. Short bursts of energetic, rhythmic poetry are designed to inspire preschoolers to create their own fun from what they see around them.
Awards: 2009 First & Best List, Toronto Public Library; 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award

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 cuddly plush doll illuminates in two colors: yellow in the evening and green in the morning when it’s “OK to Wake.” It is designed to help kids quickly learn a morning routine. The owl also plays lullabies and gives kids gentle reminders to stay in bed when its tummy is pressed. "The OK to Wake! Owl ... teaches kids to stay in bed so parents can get more rest," American Innovative Office Manager Amy Perkins 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.

It's All Fun and Games contains more than 230 activities from crafts to magic tricks to outdoor activities. The activities are color coded by type, so kids can easily find exactly what they are looking for. Each activity lists the materials needed, the object of the game and the number of players required, along with easy-to-understand instructions and fun visuals.

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.

This pair of zimbi shoes can be painted and erased again and again. The kit includes a pair of zimbi shoes, six waterproof paints, 32 magical erasing pads, two paint brushes and a mixing palette.

With this kit, kids can paint their clogs and erase them to paint them again. The set comes with a pair of clogs, six waterproof paints, 32 erasing pads, two brushes and a mixing palette.

Sleepover Sassy Sak is a 16” L x 9” W duffel-shaped Sassy Sak with two long, over-the-shoulder straps for carrying. It comes in purple peace, flower power, pink floral and green zebra designs and is "totally hip and versatile," Press Release Etc. President Jacki Ralph told TDmonthly.

This 1:72 scale die cast vehicle replicates "The Bloody Trail," an armored landing vehicle employed by the First Platoon of "B" Company, 3rd Armored Amphibian Battalion, in the Battle of Peleliu in September, 1944. The model features textured surfaces, a rotating turret with an elevating M6 37mm gun, plastic detail parts, realistic tracks and authentic markings. It measures 4.25" long and comes with a removable display base with a clear protective cover.

Designed to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Toys Fire Truck is solidly constructed from 100-percent recycled plastic milk containers and has no metal axles. It includes a sturdy extendable ladder that rotates 360 degrees and two removable side ladders. The truck contains no BPA, PVC or phthalates, and is packaged using only recycled and recyclable materials.  Made in California.
—  Joe Mitchell, owner of YoYo Joe’s Toys & Fun in Wilmington, Del., called the Green Toys Fire Truck a “slam dunk” at ASTRA 2010.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

GeoPalz is the first decorative activity tracker and online game that allows users to earn points through physical activity. With a simple message of  “Walk to Win,” every mile walked counts as one pedpoint and once the points add up, the child can use the points to redeem fun, activity-focused prizes - including basketballs, jump ropes and frisbees. The site also displays a map of the distance the child has walked – showing the specific destinations he/she has reached with their steps.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010, 2011. Launch date: August 2010