November 2007 New Toys — Educational

So Smart! Spanish by SO SMART! PRODUCTIONS

Created by artist and infancy researcher Alexandra Tornek and media-producer husband Scott Tornek, this educational program is a collection of colorful, animated adventures with illustrated animals moving to the tunes of classic Spanish children’s songs, including “Pajarito (Little Birdie)” and “El Tren (The Train).” The 16-song DVD comes with a Lyrics and Translation guide that can be printed from any personal computer. Songs can also be played separately with a Jukebox feature. It is suitable for children 6 months to 3 years. “So Smart! is an independent creator and producer of top-rated young children’s media, and has won over 30 national parenting awards since its inception in 1997,” CEO Scott Tornek told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 1, 2007. 8/22/2007 (Price: $16.98)

Ani's Rocket Ride by APTE INC

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning, Ani's Rocket Ride strengthens the multiple languages of children. Players (ages 3-6) help Ani, a friendly alien, learn all about school by exploring natural environments, uncovering hidden objects and examining them in a preschool classroom. Three science centers, an art center, a drama center and two "pretend" Internet centers stimulate creative exploration. A "Help for Grown-Ups" button provides guidance for adults, and a built-in e-mail connection lets children send their artwork home. Mac/Windows compatible. 8/22/2007 (Price: $48.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Spider Man™ Spider-Smart Learning Laptop by KIDdesigns

This Spider-Man™ 3 Movie themed childrens' laptop features 8 learning zones with 48 different activities, Spider-Man® speech from the movie and exciting sound effects, and much more. 8/22/2007 (Price: $39.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WhisperPhone Solo XL by HAREBRAIN INC.

Designed for grades 5-adult, WhisperPhone is perfect for speech training, impacting literacy, refining your singing voice, learning lines for a theater performance or speech, learning a new language, and more. 8/17/2007 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WhisperPhone® Solo by HAREBRAIN INC.

WhisperPhone® is a hands-free, acoustical headset designed to help children and adults focus on and hear the individual sounds of words more clearly as they learn by processing language aloud. The voice-feedback headset helps students hear phonemes, the sounds that compose words. "Phonemic awareness is a key predictor of literacy success, according to the National Reading Panel," a representative of Harebrain Inc. told TDmonthly. 8/17/2007 (Price: $7.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Deluxe Storage Pouch by HAREBRAIN INC.

This durable storage pouch provides the perfect place to keep your WhisperPhone. The new design fits both large and small sizes 8/17/2007 (Price: $2.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Sound of Learning: Why Self-Amplification Matters by HAREBRAIN INC.

Learn about the science and rationale behind self-amplification and how it can boost the learning-to-read process. The Sound of Learning includes practical applications of the self-amplification tool, WhisperPhone®, in the classroom and home. Included in the book are exercises to use in conjunction with WhisperPhone—whether you’re a teacher or a parent! Authored by a literacy expert, an audiologist and a speech language professional, this book offers compelling analysis, fun exercises and other resources to utilize. 8/17/2007 (Price: $15.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Illegal Game by THE J.E.F. ALIENS GAME CORPORATION

This educational game in English and Spanish depicts the lives of illegal aliens in New York City. It begins as players arrive at JFK airport, get a job and begin a rollercoaster adventure of a life that might include getting mugged on the subway, learning ESL at school, getting fired from a job or winning the lottery. Players could even get arrested and deported, or get sick and die. “The game is an eye opener to anyone unfamiliar with the problems, effort and vicissitudes immigrants confront on a daily basis,” Jorge E. Freire of The J.E.F. Aliens Game Corp. told TDmonthly. “It’s a teaching aid for ESL schools and we hope it influences politicians’ minds as they work on the Immigration Reform Bill.” Launch date: October 12, 2007. 8/17/2007 (Price: $30.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Around the World Booster Card Packs by AROUND THE WORLD LLC

Around the World booster card packs are available for each major world region: Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia/Oceania, South America and North America. Participants can either play the Around the World game and continue with the booster card packs for added knowledge, or just begin learning though the cards, which are ideal for the classroom or traveling in the car. “International Education is on the rise and customers are looking for fun ways to engage their children in current affairs. Our booster card packs are collectible to attract kids: You can collect card packs for all the major regions of the world and receive prizes as you go!” Stacy E. George of Around the World told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2008. 8/16/2007 (Price: $15.00)

Fraction Whirl I by EMINES

This unique and fun card game takes the mystery out of learning common fractions. The colorful fraction cards — represented in dots, squares, pie shapes and fraction notations — help players understand the relationship between different fraction representations. As the cards whirl around the table, players try to collect four matching fraction cards and be the first to grab a Whirl token. The trick? Not every player gets a token, so players need to pay attention to both the cards and the tokens. This game comes with two sets of cards, one for beginning and one for advanced levels of play. Launch date: February 2007. 8/16/2007 (Price: $11.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Fraction Whirl II by EMINES

This fast-paced, two-player game helps players overcome fraction hurdles. The chart makes it easy to compare fraction values, and the colorful pie shapes on the cards make learning fun. A player simply turns over his top card and compares it to the opponent’s card. The player with the largest fraction wins the round and retains the cards. The player with the most cards wins. It includes two sets of cards, one for beginning and one for advanced levels of play. “There are not many fun and easy fraction games for children in the specialty toy market; this is a prefect game to introduce fraction comparisons,” Kathy Tee, director of sales for Emines, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2007. 8/16/2007 (Price: $11.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Blankies™ Peace! by POWER ARTS COMPANY, INC.

“The Blankies Peace!” is a collection of slower tempo songs that encourage quiet time. The lyrics promote kindness, friendship, global citizenship and positive self-esteem. The Blankies albums are “produced by independent musicians and not a corporation,” Chris Bihuniak of Power Arts Company told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2007. 8/16/2007 (Price: $12.99)

The Blankies™ Learn! by POWER ARTS COMPANY, INC.

“The Blankies Learn!” is an imaginative collection of early learning songs. Fill-in-the-blank style lyrics give listeners a chance to deduce answers and also build listening and recall skills. “People often buy all three [Blankies] titles at once,” Chris Bihuniak of Power Arts Company told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2007. 8/16/2007 (Price: $12.99)

This is Daniel Cook. Here we are! by THE CHILDREN'S GROUP INC.

The record is composed of an eclectic mix of musical styles, intended to introduce children to the sounds of pop, big band, classical, country, polka, hip hop and more. Directly inspired by the “This is Daniel Cook” television show, this 26-song record includes traditional songs such as “Puff the Magic Dragon,” along with originals. Daniel himself even co-wrote a song with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, called “It’s Daniel Cook.” Launch date: April 10, 2007. 8/15/2007 (Price: $16.98) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Physics Pro by THAMES & KOSMOS

With this advanced physics kit, kids can study more advanced topics in physics, including fluid dynamics, energy, oscillation, hydraulics and pneumatics. They will build spectacular models and devices, such as a wind tunnel, pneumatic shocks and a hydraulic lift. They will learn how ships float and airplanes fly, why a streamlined shape lets a car drive faster and how power plants convert a current of water into electrical current. A 96-page full-color manual is included.  “All learning is done through hands-on construction,” Thames & Kosmos Customer Relations Manager Christa Raimondo told TDmonthly. This product is a Fall 2007 Parent's Choice Award winner. Launch date: July 2007. 8/15/2007 (Price: $99.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Beginner's Harmonica by HOHNER

This harmonica plays a full eight-note octave with only four holes; each hole produces two different notes. The large and widely-spaced holes make it easy to product single tones, and note names are printed on top of the harmonica. 8/13/2007 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Hugg-A-Planet - Moon by HUGG-A-PLANET

This environmentally friendly plush ball details the complex lunar landscape and landing sites for NASA and Russian expeditions, as well as the differences between the near and far sides of Earth’s closest star. It is 4” in diameter and includes 100 labels. ”The moon takes [children] beyond the world they know and encourages them to learn about things they can't see. Perfect for any age and any mood, they can sleep with it at night, play catch with it during the day or read over the maps with mom or dad,” Three Girls Media & Marketing, Inc. told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2006. 8/9/2007 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Spanish for Children Volume I by THE BILINGUAL FUN COMPANY

Children can sing, dance and learn Spanish with this upbeat and exciting video that presents colors, numbers and animal vocabulary. The two-DVD combo featuring Volumes I and II has an MSRP of $30.99. “Using upbeat music, chants and movement as well as repetition and visual stimulation, Bilingual Fun introduces Spanish by teaching to the multiple intelligences of children,” Co-founder Jennifer Manriquez of The Bilingual Fun Company told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2005. 8/7/2007 (Price: $13.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Spanish for Children Volume 2 by THE BILINGUAL FUN COMPANY

Kids can expand their language skills and learn useful, everyday vocabulary and phrases, learning along with the children of Bilingual Fun as they introduce greetings, body parts and food in this fun and interactive video. “Viewers enjoy Bilingual Fun videos because they can participate along with the real children in the programs, as they learn and practice their new language skills,” Co-founder Jennifer Manriquez of The Bilingual Fun Company told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2006. 8/7/2007 (Price: $13.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Learn Hindi Alphabet by BABY HINDUSTANI

This DVD introduces Hindi letters through catchy songs, familiar rhymes and interactive quizzes. Children learn to recognize and sound out Hindi letters and associate each letter with an object and its beginning sound, and they also learn to name the parts of their body. With the Interactive Quiz feature, children can practice letters and test their knowledge. “Our products … supplement parents’ efforts to create a language-rich environment for children of Indian origin. They teach the language using colorful visuals of everyday objects,” Owner Ruchira Agarwal of Baby Hindustani told TDmonthly. “They also blend Indian language with western classical music, bringing the two cultures together.” This product was a 2007 Dr. Toy Best Products winner and received a Preferred Choice Award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: March 2007.
  8/7/2007 (Price: $16.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

EyeClops Bionic Eye by JAKKS PACIFIC INC.

These microscopes not only plug right into the TV, but also look like cool disembodied eyes. Simply plug in the composite video input and the kid-friendly microscope will magnify everything at 200x and display it on the television screen. According to Jakks Pacific Inc. Director of Corporate Communications Anne-Marie Feliciano, the device will allow kids to “share their discoveries with their friends, family and classroom. This product is a winner of numerous awards, including an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, a Parents Magazine Best Toy Award, a Parenting Magazine Mom-Tested Toy of the Year Award and more. 8/2/2007 (Price: $50.00)