October 2008 Notable Toys — Plush

The most realistic and playful giant stuffed dinosaur with real and authentic look-alike skins. Size: 36"L x 21"H.

Adding to the Folkmanis family of award-winning dragon puppets is this timeless symbol of heraldry, the Wyvern Dragon. It’s easy to manipulate the velvety mouth and tongue of this scaly green iconic beast and have fun for ages and ages! Designed for ages 5 and up. MSRP: $49.99.

Squeek, The Monster of Innocence is a cotton candy pink little guy who lives in a bubble! As you can see by the look on his face, he’s shy and needs you to introduce him to the world. Just hold him in your arms and describe everything to him. You can be his teacher and show him all the fun things that are special in your life. Oh, and don’t forget, he’s the pip “squeek” of the bunch so be gentle! Squeek is a part of the The WorryWoo Monsters series that tackles complicated feelings and transforms them into quirky, loveable characters.

Fuddle, the flighty Monster of Confusion can never make up her mind. It’s as though you can see her thinking aloud; Do...Don’t... Up... Down ...Yes…No. She’s so confused about making decisions. All she needs is a pat on the back and a few positive words. Wouldn’t you like to whisper in her ear “Go for it"? Fuddle is a part of the The WorryWoo Monsters series that tackles complicated feelings and transforms them into quirky, loveable characters. All the characters in the series were created and developed by Andi Green, a creative director from NYC who received such positive responses from her art exhibition The Monsters In My Head, she decided to develop these characters into books and plush dolls. Launch date: December 2, 2008.

Rue, the irresistible Monster of Insecurity hides behind flowers because he thinks he's different. He doesn’t realize that his unusual features make him interesting.  He thinks that his nose just doesn't "fit" with his shaggy hair, cheese curl ears and fluffy wings. How silly! What he needs is a little encouragement. Won't you tell him he is perfect just the way he is? Rue is a part of the The WorryWoo Monsters series that tackles complicated feelings and transforms them into quirky, loveable characters. Rue and "The Nose That Didn't Fit" won a 2009 Excellent Product Award from iParenting Media and the 2009 Toy of the Year Award (category: storybook and plush) from Creative Child Magazine, as well as a TDmonthly Top Toy Award 2009.

Where to Buy: My Toy Smart

Plaja Pets are magnetically mixable plush that allow children to use their imaginations to create hundreds of new animals oombinations. The Mini Plaja Pets measure 4" in height and are offered in 12 designs. The product received an iParenting Media Award. The larger, 8" size is available in six designs. Launch date: September 2008.

Bongo Bi-Lingo Buddy, a Caribbean tail! Bongo invites kids on a Bi-lingual Web Adventure by having them help Bongo on a musical island hopping adventure back to his homeland, Banana Isle, where he reunites and celebrates with his familia, the Bongo Cats! Kids play bi-lingual games to help Bongo advance to the next Island, while watching out for grumpy, unsharing, music hating Huracan! Launch date: September 15, 2008.

Unbuckle the fun with the adorable and huggable, 17" BuckleyCat. Like most cats, BuckleyCat loves to have his tummy tickled once his buckles are opened. He likes to be included in tea parties and birthday parties and will demand a hug before bedtime. He is very well behaved and makes an excellent companion on long car rides. This product is suitable for children ages 15 months and up and was designed in cooperation with a child psychologist.

Meet BuckleyDog. He is the perfect friend for any baby or toddler. BuckleyDog is protective and lovable and always ready to run and play. He loves to tumble with other stuffed animals, but be careful when it comes to balloon animals. Sometime he gets frisky and pops them!

Meet BuckleyBear. He can be a little shy but he is extremely well behaved and barely makes a growl. BuckleyBear likes to burrow under your covers and pretend he is hidden in the far corners of a bear cave. He will patiently wait for play time and then frolic for hours.

Meet BuckleyBunny. Our first seasonal offering, BuckleyBunny will debut during the Easter shopping season. This lovable Bunny will keep children on their toes. He loves to play games, and he most especially loves Easter egg hunts.

Party Marty is ready to help ring in that special someone's birthday wishes as he dances out of his box to the song "Celebrate" while holding a gold star that reads "You're the STAR."
Display Ideas: These items are all about the movements and soft materials. It is important to display them where customers can pick them up and try them out — so they can see that the mouth and movements perfectly coincide with the song. This type of coordination is hard to find in the average mechanical item. Launch date: June 1, 2008.

Slow Moe is all ready for summer with a plush baseball bat, hat and ball. While waiting for his next pick-up game, he enjoys bopping back and forth as, singing "In the Summertime." Launch date: June 1, 2008.

Johnny features cuddly soft materials and a pair of lightning sunglasses. He just loves to strum his guitar while singing "Johnny Be Good" and swaying his foot to the beat.
Display Ideas: It is important to display this item where customers can pick it up and try it out — so they can see that the mouth and movements perfectly coincide with the song. This type of coordination is hard to find in the average mechanical item. Launch date: 6/1/2008.

Anyu is an Ice Pixie from the North Pole. Located on the northernmost point on Earth, the North Pole is a magical, wintery wonderland that is home to reindeer, polar bears, seals - and of course Pixies! The North Pole is made up of a huge mass of floating ice in the Arctic Ocean. The Planet Pixies were designed to encourage little girls to think about ways to save the planet. Each Pixie comes from a different endangered zone of the globe. The doll set includes tips for recycling and taking care of the environment, so the Pixies' homes can be saved. The Planet Pixies are made from organic cotton fabric and natural materials. Their boxes are made of  100% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Launch date: 2008.

Maia is a Tree Pixie from the Amazon Rain Forest. The Amazon is the world's largest and most famous rainforest and is home to more species of plants and animals than any other place on the planet. About 30% of the world's animal species are found there including the jaguar, parrots, crocodiles, many kinds of monkeys - and of course Pixies! The Planet Pixies were designed to encourage little girls to think about ways to save the planet. Each Pixie comes from a different endangered zone of the globe. The doll set includes tips for recycling and taking care of the environment, so the Pixies' homes can be saved. The Planet Pixies are made from organic cotton fabric and natural materials. Their boxes are made of  100% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Launch date: 2008.

Kayla is a Marsh Pixie from the Florida Everglades. The Everglades are tropical marshland located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a rare and beautiful place that is home to panther, manatee, bobcat, alligators and of course Pixies! The Planet Pixies were designed to encourage little girls to think about ways to save the planet. Each Pixie comes from a different endangered zone of the globe. The doll set includes tips for recycling and taking care of the environment, so the Pixies' homes can be saved. The Planet Pixies are made from organic cotton fabric and natural materials. Their boxes are made of  100% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Launch date: 2008.

Angels from the Attic are 10" plush friends designed to promote creativity and encourage children of all ages to build friendships. Each Angel is made from soft fabric and sewn so that no two are exactly alike. The line consists of six characters who all live in a magical Attic: Sunray Bear, Misty Pig, Crystal Cat, Eclipse Doggy, Looner Bunny and Twinkle Mouse.

This 9” pony has long kohair fur and is ultra-soft. Launch date: February 2001.

In the Puppy Love Pups line, this plump, 14”-long beagle sits up begging for love and attention at 11.5” high. It is ultra floppy, soft and cuddly, just like a roly-poly puppy. Launch date: September 2008.

Poe is an Ugly Dragon. Ugly Dragons come from the Ugly Dragon Mountain. But Poe has left the safety of his caverns is search of his big dreams.The other day he had a big dream about a big scoop of ice cream. Chocolate. While most Ugly Dragons sleep all day and fly all night, Poe is more into cars, trucks, bikes, and anything that lets him sit down while moving. Flying is hard. You have to flap your wings around all the time! Can Poe roll with you?.
—  “The Uglydolls … have been very collectible for people,” Lauren Obenour, manager of Green Frog Toys in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthly in August 2008.
—  “They're so popular because they're adorable, and everybody loves them,” said Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M.  “Their appeal just continues to grow.”
—  When asked about his top-selling collectible toys in summer 2008, Tom Levin, owner of Tom’s Toys in Great Barrington, Mass., told TDmonthly he sells an average of 60 Uglydolls per month.

16" Daniel the Dreidel Bear with yamika, tallis, dreidel and zippered pouch with embroidered Star of David. Head sways and mouth moves while singing "The Dreidel Song"