October 2009 New Specialty Toys — Books

Barron’s This new activity kit for boys and girls by Sue Unstead holds the ingredients for an imaginary journey to the mysterious land of Transylvania and the spooky castle that is home to Count Dracula. Enclosed with an assortment of creepy vampire accessories is a 32-page illustrated book that retells Dracula’s classic story and presents a game in which the players must figure out how to escape from Dracula’s castle. The box also contains a collection of items to enhance the scary surroundings, including vampire-style fanged teeth, Dracula’s cape, black rubber bat, washable white face paint, imitation blood capsules, and a cardboard model of Dracula’s castle to assemble. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they dress up for Halloween or dramatize Dracula’s delightfully chilling story at any time of the year. The kit measures 7.5" x 9.5" x 2.25".

Packaged with a wheel-shaped bead tray containing six colors of glass seed beads, Bead Rings includes all the materials and techniques necessary to make seven different styles of beaded rings. Endless combinations of colors and patterns allow for the creation of unique pieces every time, and the basic beading techniques taught in the book can be applied to other projects.
― During an October 2009 survey, Fred Meyer, owner of Meyer's Toy World in Battle Creek, Mich., told TDmonthly, “We do a lot with Klutz in the jewelry area.”

The big animal faces in this soft, cloth book will catch baby’s eye immediately. A sewn-in rattle adds to the fun—shake it to capture, keep, and build baby’s attention span.

Ready to be personalized, this friendship scrapbook is stocked with quizzes, slumber party ideas and a foam wheel and floss to make friendship bracelets.
— Two of 39 retailers named friendship bracelets as a best seller for tween girls during a fall 2009 TDmonthly survey.
― Of 39 retailers surveyed in October 2009 about their top-selling jewelry and accessory items, one listed Forever Friends by Alex as their best seller.

Featuring a cover image of a strong horse running in a field of flowers, this diary contains 240 colored pages with lines for writing. It includes a lock with two keys and measures 6 3/8” x 6 ¼” x 1.
— In fall 2009, three of 39 retailers named journals and diaries as best sellers for tween girls.
— Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Co. in Denver, told TDmonthly her store sells 8 to 10 journals from Peaceable Kingdom Press each month.

Authored by Anne Akers Johnson, this book contains 200 precut strips of paper in 22 colors and patterns, plus a tool designed specifically for winding them into artful beads, whether round, straight or fancy. It also includes a bottle of glaze to polish of each bead creation, elastic cord for making bracelets, and glass accent beads. The book features color images and give pointers on style.
— Six of 39 retailers named jewelry titles and other artsy activities from Klutz as best sellers for tween girls in October 2009.
— “I consistently sell Klutz and art supplies for them,” Scott Loveless, owner of Toys That Teach in Bothell, Wash., told TDmonthly in fall 2009.

This small-sized classic begins as a teething and discovery toy, with knots and tags and crinkly sounds. Later, it teaches counting and ABCs with 1 Apple, 2 Birds and 3 Cats stitched on the crinkly pages. It is made of organic cotton fabrics: soft velour, canvas tags and terrycloth knots, and is machine washable. Launch date: September 2008.

The baby daze logbook features eight sections designed by a professional organizer to help new and expectant parents cope with all the "baby data" they'll encounter when caring for a newborn — feeding, diapering, sleeping, medical information, gift tracking (and thank-you notes) and more all fit neatly in this centralized resource. "The comprehensive, yet simple, nature of the book" sets it apart. It is "easy to use, yet it offers a section for pretty much everything a new parent may encounter," Leland Brandt, president of The Research Department, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2002.

An enchanting story about an overworked Mother Nature who magically turns plastic bottles into a soft cuddly doll named Popsi. With the help of a wise wizard Popsi comes to life as a young girl. However, within three days she must give Mother Nature a helping hand cleaning up the Earth or once again become a doll. The curious side of Popsi gets her into some trouble until she creates the Super Solar Sonic Recycling Machine.  The recycled plush doll, Popsi, reinforces the lessons within the story book. This hardcover book is 8 1/2 x 11 printed on recycled paper in the USA with vegetable based ink.

Kate is thrilled when she realizes that her new home borders an enchanted forest. Nothing is more fascinating to Kate than the wonders of nature. She meets Luke Carver, a real nature geek. Together they discover a fairy house hidden in the trunk of a tree. Inside, they find a mysterious clue. Who built the fairy house, and why? What other secrets does the forest hold? As Luke and Kate investigate the mystery, they learn that the woods are in danger. They are determined to save the forest, but how? Where’s the fairy dust when you need it? 126 pages.

Fairy Houses are evolving. Discover fairy neighborhoods, villages and even art colonies! Built with natural materials and a pinch of creativity ... the possibilities are infinite. View interiors, with rich details and delightful fairy comforts. Explore the enchantment of nature through this inspiring activity, for all ages. Yet another winning creation in The Fairy Houses Series® - the second photographic book of these inspiring habitats made by families at events and workshops throughout New England. 62 pages.

Discover a world filled with whimsical habitats constructed from natural materials. The idea is to entice a fairy to stop by for a visit. From rustic dwellings to fairy mansions, these small structures are appearing in woods, parks, backyard gardens and even at the beach. But beware! Building fairy houses can be addictive for all ages. Symptoms include exploring the outdoors, being creative, sparking the imagination and discovering Nature’s enchantment. 56 pages.

Kinsey believes butterflies are really Fairies in disguise. Fascinated by the idea of caterpillars changing into butterflies, Kinsey and Sarah decide to raise their own. Many Monarchs migrate to Sarah’s home town in California. Her town celebrates their arrival every October with a Butterfly Parade. After releasing their butterflies, Kinsey and Sarah ponder the Monarch’s amazing migration down the west coast of America.  Will they arrive in time for the parade? Fairy Flight’s vibrant, enchanting illustrations reveal what the girls imagine; perhaps the fairies are the Monarchs secret? 40 pages.

Built by Chelsea and her grandparents, Fairy Boat is launched hoping the fairies will find a boat ride irresistible. Find out, as you follow Fairy Boat on an epic adventure down the perilous Big River. Can the wildlife creatures help as she faces many dangers, or will it take a pinch of Fairy magic? A Children's Booksense Pick by the American Booksellers Association. 40 pages.

In this book written by Linda Glaser and illustrated by Daniel Howarth, a lovable family of bunnies explores the traditions of Hanukkah, including the lighting of one candle on the menorah each night. Launch date: September 2009.

These charmingly illustrated picture books guarantee first watching and reading fun. Children will discover lots of familiar objects and go on to name them. Cardboard with soft padded cover includes 20 beautifully illustrated pages. Launch date: 2009.

Each display of these talking bookmarks comes with 24 bookmarks — six of each style: dog, cat, horse and monkey. Users simply press the bookmark to hear the respective animal sound. Launch date: 2009.

Take a jazzy trip through an elementary school with The Playdate Kids as they share tissues with classmates and teachers, encouraging everyone to blow it out! Use that tissue and blow it out! Sheet music and CD included.

It's never too early to start bringing up the smartest baby in the whole world. So thinks the expectant Mrs. Brains, who reads to the baby inside her tummy every night and plays music and language tapes to her baby during the day. Soon enough, Mr. and Mrs. Brains have their very own Baby Brains. He reads the paper, fixes the family car, and works as a doctor in the local hospital. Now even the space program is calling on him. Is there anything Baby Brains can't do? Candlewick Storybook Animation packages include a full-color hardcover picture book, a dual-disk DVD/CD with full animated story and two audio read-along versions of the text — one with page-turn prompts, and a full-color poster, plus a sheet of reusable stickers. Launch date: September 2008.

TDmonthly Review:

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Some days you wake up and you just gotta wokka. Wokka what? Wokka-wokka! It’s about movement. It’s about dance. It’s about shimmy-shakin’, be-boppin’, and more. It’s about gathering friends and joining the party. The creative team behind "My Father the Dog" returns with a call-and-response for preschoolers, an exuberant invitation to be part of the fun — and show your stuff. It features jazzy rhythms, silly rhymes and welcoming images that aim to entice little readers. Launch date: August 2009.

Galloping Minds Numbers, Shapes and Colors Flash Cards offer a way to teach and reinforce numbers, counting, shapes and color recognition for preschoolers. The flash cards have photographs and illustrations that offer an exciting and interactive way to acquire preschool skills. Each Flash Card is post-card size, has excellent quality photography, and is laminated to prevent damage from little fingers. Launch date: June 2009.

Children can make moving figures of a dozen world-changing individuals from thousands of years ago. Cut-and-color or pre-colored action figures really move as they play out the lives of Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, King David, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (builder of the Great Wall of China), Hannibal (and his elephant!) and others. Their stories are right in the book — or kids can make up their own stories about these historic figures. Launch date: April 15, 2009.

What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys? How about a house full of 'em? Kids poke the dots and hear them pop as they learn to count down from 10 in the favorite childhood rhyme "Ten Little Monkeys." "Fun, tactile books help kids learn to count — without losing count! Raised buttons pop in on every page so kids can press them as they count," Rich Hill, director of marketing for innovativeKids, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 5, 2009.

This book describes the entire MathMosis system. It is filled with short lessons outlining the I Chant, You Chant teaching methodology and gives teachers at-a-glance ideas for counting practice activities, as well as extension activity ideas that can be integrated with other subjects. It includes reproducible worksheets for fact practice as well as instructions for fact-practice games. The MathMosis book is the foundation to the MathMosis system. "MathMosis is a unique instructional approach to teaching skip counting, multiplication and division, through a variety of learning modalities," Jennifer Tuttle, CEO of Brain Party, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2008.