January 2009 Notable Toys — All

Included in The SnowMan Kit are instructions on how to form a SnowMan anywhere from 3’ high to 7’ high, eyes and eyebrows, a nose, mouth, three buttons, a scarf, pair of mittens and a top hat. Bonus-carving tool included. The Snowman Kit is part of a family of Snow Kits: SnowMan, SnowBear and the Snow Dino. All these kits can be used when building a small character to a large character. All parts are made for the outdoors and can be used over and over in the winter.

Included in The SnowMan Kit are instructions on how to form a SnowMan anywhere from 3’ high to 7’ high, eyes and eyebrows, a nose, mouth, three buttons, a scarf, pair of mittens and a top hat. Bonus-carving tool included. The Snowman Kit is part of a family of Snow Kits: SnowMan, SnowBear and the Snow Dino. All these kits can be used when building a small character to a large character. All parts are made for the outdoors and can be used over and over in the winter.

Kidzsack is an eco-friendly, creative backsack for kids. The fabric is 10-oz. canvas, made from 100-percent recycled cotton and soda bottles. The front of the sack is screenprinted and eight washable, non-toxic markers are included. Kids color, parents wash, and kids recolor — a great reusable activity kit. "It isn't a one-time craft that sits on a shelf collecting dust. As a parent of four, I'm very interested in long-lasting crafts that encourage creativity," Owner Tina Hill of Kidzsack told TDmonthly. This product received a 2008 Preferred Choice Award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: October 15, 2007.

The Whac-A-Mole for pool and backyard fun is a multi-action sprinkler game certain to generate giggles. The Whac-A-Mole Bop Action Sprinkler connects to a standard garden hose. Once powered, four spring-loaded moles pop up and down, spraying water from their boppin’ heads. An additional two spray points located in the center of the sprinkler create more water action. Two mallets are included. "GAME recently acquired a licence for the widely popular Whac-A-Mole brand," Elissa Pollack, media relations agent for Great American Merchandise & Events, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.

Schleich is building off the success of its popular World of Elves series by introducing eight new hand-painted figurines. Zahor is one of two new fantasy figurines specifically targeted to boys. Launch date: March 15, 2009.

This adorable Smurf is ready for the Big Screen and is part of the 2009 Smurfs movie thematic, for which there are eight new Schleich models. Launch date: January 2008.

America’s No. 1 horse breed is one of 33 new animals available. It is extremely realistic and hand painted for a natural finish. "Schleich is the world’s leading designer of high-quality, realistic animal and historical figurines and fantasy play worlds for children and collectors of all ages," Martin Gour, marketing director for Schleich North America, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2009.
— Schleich animals were listed as top sellers in spring 2009 at At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, by Storeowner Candace Gooch. “This June, my store will take part in a merchandising program with Schleich,” she told TDmonthly. “I will be putting in two, 4’ backlit Schleich displays for farm and wild animals.”

CYCLE-OPOLY shows that a bicycle is more than just a pedal-and-chain-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels — it’s one of the greatest inventions of all time and it’s a whole lot of fun. Even on a rainy day, players can go exploring. "The board includes every style of bike imaginable along with some of the country’s greatest rides," Carla Miller of Late for the Sky told TDmonthly. "The six, 100-percent lead-free pewter custom tokens for CYCLE-OPOLY feature a sprocket, bike horn, water bottle, bike helmet, cycling shoe and, of course, a bicycle." Launch date: August 14, 2008.

This fleece hoodie is one of a number of knitted garments offered by the company. Launch date: November 2008.

This plush, one of several new items in the GIANTmicrobes line, represents West Nile virus. It measures 5" to 7".

A first! Yamato presents fully functioning, fully customizable 1/9 scale bicycle models and accessory sets. Think you've seen scaled bicycle models before? Not like these! Check it out! With Yamato's PEDAL ID you can create the bicycle of your dreams. Take it apart, mix and match with a host of accessories and put it all back together to build your own, one-and-only custom bike.

Dare you gaze into the face of Medusa? Legend has it that even a fleeting glance will turn a man to stone. But perhaps the real question is: can you resist? Fear not! And feast your eyes upon the exquisite beauty of Yamato USA’s Fantasy Figure Gallery: Medusa's Gaze. Inspired by the art of Luis Royo, Medusa’s Gaze stands approximately 11.80” tall, features amazingly intricate paint details, and comes complete with display base.

Filled with tiny pellets that represent an outdoor sports field, this version of Find It contains more than 40 items that cover more than 35 sports. Things to find include a basketball hoop, football, boxing glove and jet ski. Launch date: Fall 2008.
— Mary Porter, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., sells “a dozen or so a month” of the Find It games, she told TDmonthly in spring 2009.
— Two of 64 retailers cited Find It Games when asked about best-selling travel toys in March 2009.

This 13" x 39" piece of art is by artist Aaron Christensen.

This light, fanciful dress can easily be applied with Velcro to any of the 7" Sticky Pixies fairies, which can be used in scrapbooks or on walls for decoration.

TONNER has given new life to the action-packed, modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a "good" vampire, with these authorized likenesses of "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Bella Swan is 15" tall; Edward Cullen is 17". Each is designed by renowned artist Robert Tonner and fully authorized by Summit Entertainment. They're available only from TonnerDirect. Launch date: Spring 2009.

Another loveable face for the Folkmanis line of pooches, the popular labrador is known as a loyal breed. This puppy has a movable mouth to give out big puppy kisses.
— “The workmanship and expression” of Folkmanis’ puppets makes the company a favorite of Fran Anaya, owner of Golden Aspen Toys in Flagstaff, Ariz., she told TDmonthly in fall 2008, when more than 11 percent of 52 retailers named the company as a preferred vendor.

The Folkmanis BLACK BEAR CUB is an unbearably cute 15-inch puppet. Just the right amount of stuffing makes this cub a snuggly teddy bear but with additional play value – it has a movable mouth and front paws. Made of silky soft fabric, Black Bear Cub has safe, soft, vinyl claws, a smooth, suede-like nose and paws and a contrasting brown snout. His facial features bring an innocence only found in little cubs.

Past Videos: Toy Fair 2009

This brain-building strategy game plays off the original Blokus but plays with entirely new configurations in four construction plans: steps, pyramid, tower and corner (shown). The player who ends up with the most squares showing from above wins the game. Launch date: 2008.

This soft plush fawn handpuppet will add to any puppet theater production.

Peek-a-boo! Only Hearts Li’l Kid Kristy loves bath time! Now you can use the enclosed bathtub with shower curtain and little ducky to give Kristy a pretend bath as her yellow Lab puppy, Sniff, tries to jump in the tub too!

After "Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich" (2006), he decides to get married and plan an elegant featuring his favorite monsters and best man Dracula. His bride, only recently dead and revived, must battle her parents' frustration with having to pay for her wedding just days after coughing up the cash for her funeral. In this lushly illustrated and imaginative picture book by Adam Rex, the monsters get to blog, rhyme, appear in classic cartoons, create mayhem and complain about the difficulties of life. And death. Launch date: 2008.

Caldecott Medalist Ed Young has created another visual masterpiece with "Wabi Sabi," a new picture book by debut author Mark Reibstein. Wabi sabi, a traditional Japanese concept, refers to the beauty found in simple, everyday things. Young's collage illustrations of man-made and natural materials are a masterful blend of color, texture and form that pefectl complements the text. Wabi Sabi, a cat, tries to learn the meaning of her name. As her journey unfolds in a mix of prose and haiku, Wabi Sabi and the readers come closer to understanding the tru meaning of her name. "Wabi Sabi" is a vertical book, bound at the top like a calendar. Hardcover, 40 pages. Launch date: October 2008.

This documentary follows the story of Jane MacLaren Walsh, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and her journey to discover the origins of a 31-lb. quartz crystal skull that was sent to the museum in the early '90s. In her quest, she visits ancient Mesoamerica and studies archives in the Americas and Europe, eventually discovering, along with her colleagues, the truth about crystal skulls. Launch date: October 14, 2008.