December 2014 New Specialty Toys — All

The lights turn on and off in this spacious four-room townhome, and the room divider can be moved to create a fifth room. The home opens and closes for lots of decorating and pretend play fun. The moveable staircase and extra floor area can be used to create larger rooms. House measures 12"" x 12"" x 12"" closed, 21"" x 21"" x12"" opened. The Hazelnut Chipmunk Family lives in this home. Critters & some accessories sold separately.
— In a December 2014 survey, two out of nine retailers told TDmonthly that this was a best-selling play set at their store.

Let your little one dress up like her favorite heroine princess in this unique dress. The gathered inset, china silk sleeves and intricate gold trim frame the black velvet bodice. The royal blue skirt features a black border consisting of sparkly ruffled tulips. The dress is adorned with a gold sequined hem along the bottom of the skirt. To complete this winter story purchase the Scandinavian Princess and her sister the Ice Princess. Features:: clothing quality fabrics; machine washable. Stretchy, soft and very comfortable. Sizes: S-XL
— Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids LTD in Madison, Wis., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that the Scandinavian Princess costume is one of their best-selling Halloween toys, due to the popularity of Frozen.

Let your little one fulfill her dream of becoming the Ice Princess. The frosty swirl pattern on this skirt will have your princess swirling ice sculptures in minutes. The decorative lining along the neckline is polished with a single gem. Enjoy the unique sheer drape that delicately falls behind her to create a royal effect. The sleeves and sparkly bodice are made of a stretch-knit fabric and are embellished with a custom glitter print. The dress is finished with a silver sequin detail along the hem. To complete this winter story see our Scandinavian Princess. Features: clothing quality fabrics; machine washable. Stretchy, soft and very comfortable. Sizes: S-XL
— Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids LTD in Madison, Wis., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that the Ice Princess costume is one of their best-selling Halloween toys, due to the popularity of Frozen.

EyeLike Stickers are the freshest, most vibrant sticker books on the market with 400 high-quality photographic stickers in each book.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that EyeLike Stickers: Halloween is one of their best-selling Halloween toys.

There's no rest for the wicked in this Wicked Witch Deluxe Hat! This sleek and sophisticated witch hat comes with an attached fitted head and neck scarf. Just what you need for causing wicked mayhem in the land of Oz. Officially licensed by Disney.
— Emily Bieritz, manager of The Toy Box in Amherst, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that witch hats from Elope are one of their best-selling Halloween toys.

You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except...here's how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say...BLORK. Or BLUURF. Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)
— Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids LTD in Madison, Wis., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak is one of the best-selling books at their store.

Welcome to the Museum is a series of books set on the "walls" of the printed page, showcasing the world's finest collections of objects — from natural history to art. Open 365 days a year and unrestricted by the constraints of physical space, each title in this series is organized into galleries that display more than 200 full-color specimens accompanied by lively, informative text. Offering hours of learning, this first title within the series — Animalium — presents the animal kingdom in glorious detail with illustrations from Katie Scott, an unparalleled new talent. Published by the imprint Big Picture Press under Candlewick Press in the USA.
— Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids LTD in Madison, Wis., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Ultimate Animalium by Jenny Broom is one of the best-selling books at their store.

Disney's Frozen is a computer-animated musical comedy-adventure in which a young princess named Anna is cursed by her estranged sister, the coldhearted Snow Queen Elsa. Anna's only hope of reversing the curse is to survive a perilous but thrilling journey across an icy landscape. Joined by a rugged, thrill-seeking outdoorsman, his one-antlered reindeer, and a hapless snowman, Anna must race against time, conquer the elements, and battle an army of menacing snowmen if she ever hopes to melt Elsa's frozen heart. Boys and girls ages 3–7 will love to join in the adventure with this 96-page coloring and activity book based on the hit movie and featuring a foil and embossed cover!
— Paul Sahagian, owner of Learning Express in Needham, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that this Frozen Coloring book is one of the best-selling books at their store.

Aspiring princesses everywhere are sure to love the new Ultimate Sticker Book: Frozen from DK. Packed with more than 60 exciting reusable stickers featuring beloved characters and icons from Frozen, kids will be able re-create their favorite scenes from the movie while learning fun and interesting movie facts along the way.
— Paul Sahagian, owner of Learning Express in Needham, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Ultimate Sticker Book: Frozen is one of the best-selling books at their store.

Spot's only full-length lift-the-flap bedtime story is now available as a board book. Spot's had a busy day, and now it's time for bed. Time to put his toys away, to take a bath and to say goodnight to his mom and dad and his cat, Ginger. At last, looking out at the moon, Spot wonders if there's anyone else to say goodnight to. "Oh yes," he says, "Goodnight, me." This charming bedtime book is perfect for easing toddlers off to sweet dreams.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Spot books from Putnam are some of the best-sellers at their store.

A delightfully festive touchy-feely book with simple, repetitive text. Bright, colorful illustrations with textures to touch and feel on every page. Helps very young children develop language and sensory skills. Series awarded "Best Buy" by readers of Prima magazine. A perfect seasonal gift for young children.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that That's Not My Snowman is one of the best-selling books at their store.

A squirrel named Micawber loves the paintings he sees through the windows of the nearby art museum. One day he notices an artist copying the old masters, and he decides to do the same — with surprising results. In their second collaboration, best-selling author-illustrator team John Lithgow and C. F. Payne introduce children to the world of art through the eyes — and paint-splattered tail — of a highly creative squirrel. Micawber, a squirrel fascinated by art, leaves a museum with an art student and secretly uses her supplies to make his own paintings.
— Emily Bieritz, manager of The Toy Box in Amherst, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Micawber is one of the best-selling books at their store.

A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It's OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn't ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don't be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator. Barney Saltzberg, the effervescent spirit behind Good Egg, offers a one-of-a-kind interactive book that shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion "telescope"—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder. The smudge becomes the face of a bunny, a crumpled ball of paper turns into a lamb's fleecy coat—celebrate the oops in life.
— Emily Bieritz, manager of The Toy Box in Amherst, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Beautiful Oops is one of the best-selling books at their store.

6 TIME X-GAMES GOLD MEDALIST CREATES A BOARD GAME INSPIRED BY DAUGHTER! Bucky Lasek’s Ramps and Rails game play is mix between a fun chute and ladders race and an educational tool, which helps children better understand the relationship between numbers and spaces. Recent trends in accelerated learning of science and technology have shown the "count-on" method of play yields real benefits for children with their ability to use numbers.

32 LEDs plus a flashlight. Great locker light; has magnet and hook to hold it in place.

This flashlight pops up into a lantern for all of your camping and adventure needs.

Best made on the planet. Rainbow Light Effect.

Bellz is deceptively simple and yet supremely challenging at the same time. Just open the travel pouch and you’re ready to play! The pouch opens to become the game arena. Inside there are 40 custom bells in 4 colors and 3 different sizes. Players use the magnet wand to pick up bells of only one color. Make a string off the end of the magnet wand, or create a cluster — just don’t pick up bells of any other color or the turn is over. Each player must decide how far to push their luck on every turn. The first player to collect all 10 bells of one color wins!
The magnet wand can be used two ways:
Use the small end for precision grabs, or try the larger, more powerful end to make really long chains. You choose which end to use each turn.

Science Wiz presents their new Sound Science Kit. Joining a stable of bestselling titles, Sound lets a child build, record, play and explore sound vibrations. 20 activities are included with a 48 page book and materials. Building a working Edison Phonograph is the center piece of the product. For ages 8 years and up with a suggested retail of $29.95.

Science Wiz presents Cool Circuits Junior the follow-up to the mega hit, Cool Circuits. 40 brand new puzzles, 8 3-D puzzle pieces and 6 orange barriers bring the difficulty level down a bit from the original. Connect the circuit and the game board lights up and plays music. Solution book and batteries are included. Recommended for ages 6 years and up with a suggested retail of  $24.95.

A colorful activity center with 6 activities for little hands to explore. Press the button and it squeaks, pull back the blue bird to chime the bell, slide the mirror to see who’s hiding underneath. Encourages manual dexterity and the learning of cause and effect. Ages 6 months+. Mention ToyDirectory for special considerations

A pirate track game with a wind-up pirate galleon to sail around the treasure island. Be the first player to fill your loot bag with coins from the treasure chest before the pirates catch up with you in their galleon! For 2 to 4 players. Contents: game board, wind-up pirate galleon, 4 loot bag boards, 24 play coins, 4 pirate counters with stands, dice, dice shaker, guide. Mention ToyDirectory for special considerations

Babies and toddlers are not interested in passing trends, fashion colors or the latest gadget. They need well designed and reliable toys which don't disappoint during play and encourage their gradual discovery of themselves, others and the surrounding world. The Ambi® Toys range satisfies these needs and are a continuing source of learning and fun. The Baby Gift Set is the ideal Ambi starter kit. A collection of five of the most popular Ambi toys in a gift pack, it includes Lock A Block, Humpty Dumpty, Twin Rattle, Trumpet and First Keys. Mention ToyDirectory for special considerations

A soft multi-sensory environment in a fun bright dinosaur, the award-winning Playnest is fresh this year with the Playnest® Dino! A fabric covered inflatable ring that supports baby during play, the additional textures and sounds help both hand/eye coordination and manipulative skills. The Playnest Dino will play an important role in baby's physical and play development. Covers are machine washable. Mention ToyDirectory for special considerations