May 2010 Notable Toys — Video Games

JumpStart Pet Rescue contains five Discovery worlds where preschoolers navigate through five stories in a search for lost pets. Each Discovery world contains a guided story told by one of the JumpStart friends, leading children on a learning adventure through more than 50 learning lessons and 20 activities that teach kids more than 75 essential skills they need to succeed. As kids progress through the adventures, they improve their pre-reading skills, memory, creativity, motor skills, listening and much more. This imaginative and immersive 3D learning environment is designed to offer hours of exploration and adventure. James Czulewicz, Vice President of Sales and Planning at Knowledge Adventure, told TDmonthly this item is the "first educational product for the Wii."

LEGO's construction play sets and figures feature classic and new characters from Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3. In this play set, builders help Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear drive around the day care center in his toy dump truck.

This set features 20 velvety horses from a card series and secret codes that unlock NEW Bella Sara Adventures at BellaSara.com. Girls can collect all 20 as they embark on new quests and discover the magical world of North of North. "Bella Sara is a beautiful world featuring powerful horses, majestic scenery, loveable characters, and a dramatic story. Bella Sara is illustrated with colorful artwork and positive messages of hope and courage. In a time when many parents are concerned about the products marketed toward young girls, Bella Sara cards feature beautiful, whimsical illustrations of horses—symbols of power and strength—and messages that reinforce the notion that beauty comes from within," Johanna Stern, Marketing Manager, Hidden City Entertainment, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2, 2010.

Legend says that once upon a time three noble sisters traveled to distant lands and became the patrons of their own herds of horses. What happened to these herds? The first of these were the flower, tree and plant horses rooted in the magic of nature. Girls can join Emma as she searches the Jasmine forest for the horses of herd Sunflower. "Rather than capitalizing on the insecurity of girls and making them feel a constant state of emptiness and envy, Bella Sara is geared toward helping girls realize their potential through positive thought and inspirational stories. Bella Sara depicts realistic characters that girls can relate to, rather than presenting characters that display unattainable perfection," Johanna Stern, Marketing Manager, Hidden City Entertainment, told TDmonthly. "Through interactive game play, Bella Sara products teach girls the importance of introspection, cooperation and personal responsibility. The positive messages and themes of positive self worth and caring for others through game play encourage young girls to feel comfort in expressing their feelings and emotions." Launch date: March 2, 2010.