September 2012 Notable Toys — All

The Robecca Steam doll has a signature style with lots of scary cool details and an ancient monster heritage. Her internal clock runs a bit slow, but she makes up for it with a steampunk style that suits her metallic glow. She wears a dress that showcases her seams and comes with her pet mechanical penguin and diary.
— As of 8/27/2012, this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 15 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of details; unique design.

The Venus McFlytrap doll has a signature style with lots of scary cool details and an ancient monster heritage. Venus McFlytrap grows for a London punk style made more unique with her perennial green hue and vine details. She has been known to use her pollen powers of persuasion to get the other monsters to volunteer for ecological causes. She comes with her pet, a Venus Flytrap (of course.), and diary.
— As of 8/27/2012, this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of accessories; has eco-friendly message. Cons: One reviewer said that the doll is fragile and the legs snapped off.

These race cars can be used with other SmartMax race track sets. SmartMax is the magnetic discovery concept that allows children, even from a very early age, to experience both the wonders of magnetism and the fascinating world of construction in a safe way. The extra-large pieces make it easy for small children to manipulate them. The magnets have the ideal strength for easy assembly and breakdown of constructions. SmartMax is carefully designed to meet and exceed the world’s toughest safety requirements, including giant-sized, non-swallowable 1.8” diameter metal balls and inaccessible magnets encased in specially sonic-welded bars.

This puzzle game is different on all levels. For starters, a challenge consists of showing the solution (the color of all the balls on the playing board). But which balls are connected and how? Not only do players' brains have to be flexed to find the solution - they can bend all the puzzle pieces so they click into a new position.

Begin a quest to settle the island of Catan. Guide brave settlers to victory by using clever trading and shrewd development. Use resources—grain, wool, ore, lumber, and brick—to build roads, settlements, cities and key cultural milestones. Get resources by rolling the dice or by trading with other players. Catan is a modern classic. It truly redefines social board games and been awarded with “Game of the Year” honors in Germany, the United States, and a host of other countries. This New edition features a six piece reversible board allowing for more replay value than the previous Gallery Edition. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Uncover a murder most foul by revealing six story elements that together describe the deadly deed and spell the word MURDER. But take care that opponents can't do the same. Take their letters, counter their actions, or call on a waiting Crow to influence the murder before they do. At any moment a well-played card can shift the balance and seal someone's fate. Murder of Crows is a fast-paced card game for 2 to 5 players that's quick to learn and features atmopheric art by Dungeoneer illustrator Thomas Denmark. A game typically lasts 15 to 20 minutes, and is designed for ages 13 and up. Launch date: August 2012.

This easy-to-use spiral-bound book includes reproducible pages of questions for students, a complete answer guide, and interpretive activities for each of the 32 styles presented from prehistoric art to the present. The book is designed to correlate with Crystal's DVD series Learn Art Styles with Lisa, as well as the Art Styles Posters and Display Cards, but can also be used as a standalone resource as well as with books and the internet as other sources of information.

Just imagine all of nature—mountains, prairies, oceans, and all—lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt. Take flora and fauna in their unique habitats, fold them up and you have a book, this book. Earth’s major habitats are spread before you, ready to be examined. Here in this beautiful package are revealed the key concepts of natural science. This patchwork quilt of nature covers the whole Earth to learn about, to enjoy, to care for, and to love.

Just imagine—you are a young orca whale. Your special friends are two cousins and your 100 year-old great grandmother, the clan leader. You learn to play with them, face danger with them, hunt with them—and even go people-watching with them. Based on actual orca, or killer whale, research, this book combines science with the real story of how family, friendship, and a grandmother’s love are helping this magnificent but endangered orca clan to survive.

Times have been hard. To save on money, you have moved out of your old castle, and into a luxurious ravine. You didn't like that castle anyway, it was always getting looted, and never at a reasonable hour. And if it wasn't barbarians it was the plague, or sometimes both would come at once, and there wouldn't be enough chairs. The ravine is great, you get lots of sun, and you can just drop garbage wherever you want. In your free time you have taken up begging. Begging is brilliant conceptually, but tricky in practice, since no one has any money. You beg twigs from the villagers, and they beg them back, but no one really seems to come out ahead. That's just how life is sometimes. You are quietly conquering people, minding your own business, when suddenly there's a plague, or barbarians, or everyone's illiterate, and it's all you can do to cling to some wreckage as the storm passes through. Still, you are sure that, as always, you will triumph over this adversity, or at least do slightly better than everyone else. This is the 7th addition to the game of Dominion. It is 500 cards but is not a stand-alone. It adds 35 new Kingdom cards to Dominion, plus new bad cards you give to other players (Ruins), new cards to replace starting estates (shelters), and cards you can only get via specific other cards. The central themes are the trash and upgrading. There are cards that do something when trashed, cards that care about the trash, cards that upgrade themselves, and ways to upgrade other cards.

This is the child-sized baby grand piano that teaches aspiring pianists to play with visual digital aides and a built-in metronome. A 3" LCD panel above the keyboard displays animated piano keys, left and right hands, and a metronome. As one of the 12 lesson songs plays through the piano's speaker, the correct animated fingers and keys illuminate on the LCD to indicate which of the actual keys the child should play. Aspiring musicians can customize the lessons to practice playing with one or both hands and the metronome adjusts from 16 to 400 beats per minute, allowing song tempo to be tailored to a pianist's skill level. The piano can record and play back original compositions, it has 30 demonstration songs, and can play eight different background drum beats. The piano requires less than 3' sq. of floor space and its 37-keys provide a more manageable teaching tool. Requires four C batteries. Includes sheet music for the 12 lesson songs. Stool not included. 22 1/3" H x 28 1/2 W x 17 1/2" D. (9 lbs.)

Create fully formed outfits that are amazing from any angle. Use mix & match patterns to trace and cut shapes that are easily folded, wrapped, and rolled into tops, skirts, coats, and more. Photos, illustrations, and step-by-step instructions make assembly simple. Embellish your fashions, accessorize, and display on the custom hangers and dress stands. Comes With: 3 dress stands, 5 hangers, 20 sheets of double-sided patterned paper, 6 sheets of tissue paper, 18 pattern pieces, 1 sheet of stencils, ribbon, clear cording, sequins, glue. Launch date: July 6, 2012.

Spot it! Halloween is a party card game consisting of 55 cards, each featuring an assortment of 8 symbols. This special Halloween edition features images such as jack-o'-lanterns, cobwebs, ghouls and other spooky creatures and objects to surprise even the bravest player. Spot It! reinforces visual perception and matching skills. It sharpens reaction time while exercising motor skills and quick cognition in a fun, fast-paced atmosphere.  As with all Spot it! editions, there is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any two cards. This game can be played five different ways.

Tower Bridge is a 216-pc 3D Puzzle that replicates the historic London landmark with exacting details.  Featuring the company’s Premium Puzzle Softclick Technology™ of precision-cut plastic flat and hinged pieces that snap together without glue, Tower Bridge is the newest addition to the 3D Puzzle assortment of impressive structures known worldwide.  The newest offering joins the line’s Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building and New England Lighthouse.

The Dachshund Ruffle Sak is particularly festive with hot pink faux-fur trimming on the top of the bag. It’s accented with a beautiful pink satin bow embellished with a rhinestone heart. The black and white iconic dachshund print really flashes bright in contrast to the pretty pink accents. The double handles found on each Ruffle Sak coordinate beautifully with a dainty pindot print, the same print found on the middle ruffle of the bag.

Easily recognizable animal faces are fun to find as players turn over pairs of tiles, searching for a matching pair. Children and adults alike enjoy this game of memory and observation skills. 24 pairs to match. Box is 9"X9".

The smiling faces of 24 children from countries all over the world are fun and sometimes challenging to match in this memory game. The back cover shows each child and identifies their home country. 24 pairs to match. Box is 9"X9".

A simple call and response activity. Beautiful pictures introduce children to letter sounds and simple phonics. Flash card topics include: Division, Multiplication, Subtraction, Addition, Rhyming, and Opposites.

Every time kids snip a line, the edge they cut makes a design. Check the package edge to see what shape their fancy snip will be. 6" Fancy Scissor with a soft grip. Six different edge designs available.

This ferocious dinosaur head is the perfect place to store and play with the Tyrannosaurus Rex that's included. Unzip the backpack to reveal a prehistoric jungle, tar pit, volcano and lava filled gorge. When it’s time to go, kids can pack-up the dinos, zip up the backpack and throw it over their shoulder. Includes 1 dinosaur. Colorful, Durable, wipe-clean surface.
Awards: 2012 TDmonthly Top Toy Award. Why it Won: This dinosaur shaped back pack unzips into a colorful, durable playmat. The playmat features prehistoric scenes like a tar pit and an erupting volcano. The backpack comes with one toy dinosaur, and kids can add their own collection as well. They can even have fun with the zipped-up backpack, which resembles the face of a fearsome green dino. The material is durable and easily wipes clean, and the zippers run smoothly, securely holding dinos and other toys until kids are ready to unzip and play again. 

Kids can look just like Merida, the star of Disneys animated feature, BRAVE, with this wig. This iconic, curly red haired wig gives a finishing touch to any Merida costume or dress up set.

America’s favorite game is now offered in a Wimpy Kid version. Includes new Wimpy Kid rules and features an exclusive 50-word dictionary. Includes game board with Greg and the gang from the best-selling book series. Players 2-4.