February 2010 Notable Toys — All

Chester Raccoon and friends are devastated at the loss of their friend Skiddel Squirrel and, at the suggestion of Mrs. Raccoon, plan a special memorial service for him at the pond. This story is designed to help children understand and cope with funerals and the trauma of losing a loved one, encouraging them to create special memories. It's authored by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara Gibson.

TDmonthly Review:

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Written by Kimiko Kajikawa and illustrated by Ed Young, this 32-page hardcover tells the story of a rich, old villager name Ojiisan who makes a great sacrifice to save his fellow villagers in the midst of a great tsunami. Launch date: February 5, 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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Written Susan Lopez and illustrated by Ulises Wensell, this book follows little girl Carlota's dreams of her new family on the verge of being adopted from the orphanage. Carlota then finds out that even though her new mom isn't a pastry chef and her dad isn't a pirate, they really are the best family in the world.

This 64-page, full-color book written by Dr. Stephen Law introduces young readers to questions about life and the universe, leading them to ponder and learn about such things as, "What happened before the Big Bang?" and "What makes stealing wrong?" It's presented in question-and-answer form with quirky quotations. Launch date: October 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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This lift-the-flap educational book explores geology, geography, meteorology and astronomy, taking kids on a journey to discover the ground under the feet as well as the clouds and the magnificent solar system. It's written by Pascale Hédelin and illustrated by Laurent Richard and Terri Bjorgan. The 9" x 9.5" book features color illustrations and 38 pages. Launch date: September 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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In this story, presented as a 32-page hardcover, a little boy points out all the things his father knows, including the names of clouds and which insects are "buzziest." In rhyming verse, i's written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Launch date: April 27, 2010.

Buster is a soft plush square pillow that has a smiley face on one side, and shapes with numbers on the other side. There are 6 colored buckles going around the toy so kids can learn their colors, shapes, and numbers while still getting to play with the buckles they love. Can serve as a traveling toy as it can fit in a diaper bag and attach to almost anything. Machine washable.

Bella is a soft plush heart pillow that has a smiley face on oneside, and shapes with numbers on the other side. There are 5 colored buckles going around the toy so kids can learn their colors, shapes, and numbers while still getting to play with the buckles they love. Can serve as a traveling toy as it can fit in a diaper bag and attach to almost anything. Machine washable.

Bucky is a soft plush turtle that has 4 colored buckles down his tummy that unbuckle to reveil colored numbers 1-10. There are 6 colored shapes on his shell and down the middle of his shell is a zipper that unzippers to reveil a pouch. Kids can learn their colors, shapes, and numbers while still getting to play with the buckles they love. Can serve as a traveling toy as it can fit in a diaper bag and attach to almost anything. Machine washable.
— Mass Hole Mommy found that her son was instantly captivated by the colors and tactile stimulation of Bucky. The turtle proved a safe way for her son to hone his fine motor skills. Christy of Is It Naptime Yet? reported that her son was just as captivated by Bucky, eschewing his other, fancier toys in favor of the plush turtle. Though Christy complained that some of the buckles were too difficult for her son, Mama Cheaps viewed the difficulty her daughter had with the same buckles as a challenge to be overcome with more practice.

Complete with interchangeable parts like the rest of the Automoblox collection, the T900 features a chrome grill and bumpers, all-terrain tires on chrome wheels, and an overall sleek, sporty design.
— Four of 38 specialty retailers named Automoblox as a top-selling wooden toy in February 2010. "Automoblox do really well," said Stacy Solie of Leapin' Lizards Toy Co. in Bend, Ore., citing sales of about 2 dozen per month.

These jaguars are part of a plush collection featuring stuffed animals and puppets that share characteristics of their real animal in the wild. A hangtag explains each animal's distinctive qualities. Retail price ranges from $16 to $36, depending on size. Launch date: January 2010.
— Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop in Scottsdale, Ariz., was impressed with this plush line at Toy Fair 2010.

This kit gives some structure to free-form building with planks, including an idea book with instructions for building ball-track structures, ramps, funnels and more. It allows for scientific experimentation as kids test rolling the two included lightweight balls to see if they move as anticipated.
— "A new concept kit will help kids build bigger and better — simple, open-ended and smart," said John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., at Toy Fair 2010.
— It was also a top-two favorite at ASTRA's Share the Fair event during Toy Fair 2010.
— In an April 2012 survey, Elmer Carranza, manager of Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va., told TDmonthly that KEVA blocks are their best selling construction toy.

In Spot’s Toy’s there’s an added bonus of two teething toys and a very soft cover. No need to worry about ripping these large pages, they’re made of cloth! Launch date: Spring 2010

Every meal is an adventure with Spot’s endearing smile peering out from a divided plate, bowl and cup. The 5-piece set includes a beginner’s fork and spoon. Launch date: Spring 2010

Grownups can have fun with Spot as they read aloud or create their own adventures indoors or on-the-go. This soft plushy puppet has his familiar brown spot on his body as well as a brown tip on his tail. Launch date: Spring 2010

This craft kit includes three 10" x 12" designs with a mermaid theme, sparkling sequins and jewels to give the pictures dazzle, and a glam grabber tool to grab and stick the decorative pieces. Launch date: 2010.
— John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., liked this product at Toy Fair 2010, saying, "[It's] easy to do and [the] results are dazzling!"
— Gladys Griffin, owner of Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga., told TDmonthly in a January 2014 survey that Do-A-Dot-Art is a best-selling arts & crafts toy.

This extended, 24-page sticker book is beautifully illustrated in the classic Winnie-the-Pooh style. Now you too can visit Pooh, his friends, and all of his favorite places. With over 75 reusable stickers, this book is a must-have for Pooh fans of all ages.

Winnie-the-Pooh likes honey more than anything else! So much, in fact, that he tries to reach a beehive high atop a tree by holding on to a balloon. This 12-page board book is based on A. A. Milne’s first Winnie-the- Pooh story, “In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees and the Stories Begin.”

With flaps, ribbons, knots, different textures and jingle, crinkle and squeak sounds, there’s no shortage of fun on the 10 inch Classic Pooh Developmental Ball.

So much more than an ordinary blanky. The Pooh and Piglet Blankys combine plush characters and a super soft, satin-trimmed blanket Each blanky is 17.5 inches. This blanky is sure to be a naptime and travel staple.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.

A perfect pal for nap or playtime. The Classic Pooh Comfort Cuddly is a 12 inch ultra-soft plush with corduroy accents. Available in Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet styles.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.

Give baby an intro to the alphabet with these adorable 5 inch letter rattles. Available in “E’ for Eeyore, “P” for Pooh, “P” for Piglet and “T” for Tigger. Each rattle features corduroy and ribbon accents.

Like the smaller version, this ahh-dorable stuffed animal measures 14 inches and sports a handsome tan ribbon bow.

This 4.5 inch toy is loaded with crinkles, jingles, ribbon tags and more. Turn over to see Pooh’s sweet face and find a pretty flower from the 100 Acre Wood.