July 2010 Notable Toys — Books

The Feelings Storybook is a sensitive and heartfelt book for children of all ages that can act as an assessment tool for emotional growth. This book is interactive and contains 32 pages with full-color illustrations. It is ideal for the developing reader and features a 22-minute companion CD narrated by the author/psychologist, Dr. Alexandra Delis-Abrams.

Author Lara Bergen and illustrator Betsy Snyder tell the tale of an eco-conscious superhero in this lift-the-flap board book. Kids who read the book will learn that with a little super-imagination, trash can become treasure. Parents can visit publisher Simon and Schuster’s site to download activities and crafts based on the book.
— Bob Walch of Book Loons exclaimed, “This picture book practices what it preaches — it is made from 100% recycled material!” He praised the conscience-raising storyline but cautioned that the recycled paper may cause some flaps to tear easily.
— San Francisco Book Review’s Kaye Cloutman recommended the book as a kid-friendly way to explain what happens to trash and why recycling matters. She added that kids will be attracted to the transformations from trash to treasure achieved by the flaps.

An inspiring story about responsibility and young entrepreneurs. A boy and his sister, their love of horses, and an idea—all come together in this delightful and educational story of the entrepreneurial spirit of American youth today.

Everything in life starts out with one idea. A child, a summer on Nantucket Island, and an idea—all come together in this beautifully illustrated and inspiring story of the entrepreneurial spirit of American youth today.

An inspiring story of a boy with a dream who learned skills that would last a lifetime. A boy takes his love of fishing and turns it into an adventure, learning skills that would stay with him forever and turn his passion into profit.

This 14-page, colorful board book contains four fold-out flaps in the quest to find Pete's Potty. Launch date: May 2010.

Suitable for babies 6 months to a year old, this 7" x 7" book features a teddy bear touching his toes, nose, tummy and more. It's a touch-and-feel book with the highlighted body parts in set apart with some kind of fabric or fur. Launch date: May 2010.

Mad Libs combine language education, creative stimulation, and just plain silly fun. Each page asks for a list of words by part of speech, which are then plugged into strategic blanks in a short story on the page following. When distributed throughout the Mad Libs framework, a list of seemingly ordinary words becomes inventive and hilarious.
― Two of 39 retailers who participated in TDmonthly's March 2010 survey of top-selling travel toys said Mad Libs are their best.
— “We sell three Mad Libs a day,” Ava Allen, owner of Be Beep A Toy Store in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in autumn 2010.
— In an April 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers said that Mad Libs are one of their best-selling travel products.

Be a super detective! Use your Invisible Ink pen to uncover the truth and solve the mysteries. Here are just some of the games you will find inside this book, decode the cryptograms, decipher Krazygrams, and nab the crook in jailbreak.
Each book includes 48 pages of fun and a special pen.
― Out of 39 retailers, four named activity books from Lee Publications as their top-selling travel item in March 2010, reporting sales averaging 24 per month.
― Kristen Dolle, manager of Playthings Toy Shoppe in Louisville, Ky. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that Magic pen books by Lee Publications were a best-selling travel toy.
— In an April 2012 survey about best selling travel toys, Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly: "As a category, Lee Publication’s Yes & Know books continue to sell out during travel time due to their wide age range and low retail price."
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Playthings Toy Shoppe.

This multi-paneled playscape folds into a book for easy portability and, with 21 feet of design on the interior and exterior, offers 42 feet of space for one or more children to enjoy while playing. The pictures are designed to spark a child's imagination and encourage creativity.

“Dear Baby – What I Love About You” is designed to act as a colorful love letter connecting babies and toddlers to the important adults in their lives. The chunky artboard book features 20 pages and includes a “baby yearbook” page to keep a permanent record of who reads the book to the child.
— Simon Barrett of Blogger News Network described “Dear Baby” as “a delightful little picture book that I am sure any grandparent would just love to read to any very young child.” He was particularly impressed by the baby yearbook.
— While reading the book with her daughter, The IE Mommy found her “little one’s eyes were moist from tears.” She said the book became “a sweet reminder of how much I love her.”

Kids can make movable dinosaur action figures with this activity book from Figures in Motion. Kids can move their jaws, clash their teeth and make their powerful legs run as they act out their own dinosaur battles. It includes Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, plus dinosaur facts. This creative learning tool features easy to assemble dinosaurs in pre-colored and colorable versions, using only crayons or colored pencils, scissors, a hole punch and fasteners. Owner of Figures In Motion Cathy Diez-Luckie told TDmonthly, "Dinosaurs on the Move is an engaging, hands-on activity book that will captivate children for hours." Launch date: April 16, 2010.

This fun-filled educational book is written about two Shoulder Buddies, Breezee and Biffle, who plan to go to the School of Smarts. They want to earn their Feathers so they can fly. Readers take a journey with them as they try to help each other discover the Smarts that are right for them. The Book N' Buddy combo comes with the Breezee or Biffle Shoulder Buddy character attached. Shoulder Buddies are unique to their Feather color, so no two are alike. They come with a collectible Shoulder Buddies Coin and a backpack clip. Shoulder Buddies are not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Launch date: Feb. 2010.