June 2009 New Specialty Toys — Hobby Goods

This set for portraits contains a 12-piece selection of smooth, blendable oil pastels to create natural skin tones. Expressionist oil pastels are formulated with extra-fine quality pigments, wax and oil. Artists blend to create genuine complexions for portraits. The product is ACMI Non-toxic certified and may be used on paper, cardboard, canvas and wood. Also available is Expressionist Extender, a unique oil pastel medium that extends a color’s hue range. "Expressionist oil pastels are the standard by which all other oil pastels are judged," Linda Lyon, marketing specialist for Sakura of America, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 24, 2009.

Designed for LaQ beginners to enjoy snapping together flat models, this kit includes all 10 LaQ colors, four types of blocks and four colorful pages of instruction sheets to make 39 interchangeable models. "Children enjoy the snap! and click! sound when piecing the parts together. LaQ is a highly educational block toy with an infinite possibility of creating three-dimensional and spherical models. The Mini Kit Plane is an introductory kit," Mo Saeki, in the overseas division of Yoshiritsu Co., Ltd., told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2009.