July 2009 New Specialty Toys — Dolls

Made from “less than perfect” Maggie’s Organics Solid Cotton Crew Socks, this first edition Maggie’s Menagerie Sock Monkey is made by a 100-percent worker-owned co-operative in North Carolina. These hand-sewn monkeys are one of a kind and are made with certified organic fibers. The colors shown are examples only and may or may not be available; therefore, these monkeys are sold on a "grab bag" basis only. Launch date: September 2008.

The Gisela doll and book set is based on one of the daughters of Charlemagne, designed to teach young girls about the lives of young girls during the medieval period. The soft-bodied and vinyl doll is dressed for historical accuracy. Launch date: March 2008.

Shimmery fabrics and exceptional detailing make this mermaid glisten.  An easily removable tail reveals a snazzy skirt and legs to take Macy from sea to shore in no time.

Soft and light, Minireves Bright is an adorable snuggly that will delight the very young. 6", machine-washable Minireves Bright also jingles softly when you shake her.

Very stylish and full of mischievous charm, Les Dollies toddler dolls, with their bright bold outfits - and hair! - are sure to delight budding fashionistas.Les Dollies have soft cloth bodies, vinyl faces and hands, fixed eyes and rooted hair. Tina is 16" tall and has a soft body.
— This doll gets lots of play at Three Cheeky Monkeys in Los Angeles, as it's one of the many toys available to kids for hands-on activities at the store. Watch the video to hear what owner Wallace Harvey says about why Tina and other Corolle dolls are favorites at his store.

This 70th anniversary edition of Madeline is packaged in a see-through can bag with a pink rope handle. Madeline is dressed in a delft blue, lace-trimmed dress adorned with famous Parisian locales from the original book. Madeline’s red hair is tied on one side with a satiny blue bow. She stands 13.5” tall. Launch date: April 2009.

Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins “pops in” with the first lighting of the family Christmas tree and stays until the last decoration is put away.  She loves to play hide-and-seek and is always available to share a smile and to lend an ear. In “Christina Marie and the Little Tree” Christina Marie sets out to be the very best elf at the North Pole.  But only after she discovers a little tree and saves it from a certain fate, does she learn what it truly means to be “the very best”. Each Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins Fun Set includes a posable Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins Elf, “Christina Marie and the Little Tree” illustrated storybook, and Christina Marie’s own storage case. Christina Marie Pop-In-Kins was named “2010 Book of the Year” by Creative Child Magazine.
Awards: 2011 The Toy Man Award of Excellence; 2011 The Toy Man E-Choice Award; 2011 The Toy Man Seal of Approval; 2010 Book of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine; 2010 Dr. Toy Best Picks of Children Products Award; 2010 USA Book News Best Books Award Finalist

This line of plush donkeys is stubbornly cute. Tomato comes in various sizes, but this one is 45 cm long.

Wooden dolls with yarn hair are available in an assortment of ethnicities, ages and genders.

Designed to help children stop sucking their thumbs, this puppet and storybook includes stickers and weekly calendar to chart successes. Ballerina Sue can be worn at bedtime and throughout the day. There's also a Fireman Fred version.

This sweet-faced baby doll comes packaged with 15 play accessories themed around a young girl's pajama party. An extra sleeper set, stuffed animal, sleeping bag, bib and coordinated feeding set make this take-along set a good complement for nights away from home. The set is packaged, with baby, in a reusable tote bag. 
— “Small World, All About Baby,” Angel Stahl, owner of Angel's Toy Barn told TDmonthly when asked in May 2009 about the best-selling doll line in her Greensburg, Pa., store.

The Only Hearts Club line of fashion and role-play dolls is filled with detail and realism aimed at encouraging young girls to follow their hearts and make good choices. Hannah Faith is 9” tall with a soft body, detailed vinyl face and long black hair. On the Only Hearts Club website, Hannah is described as a little shy, but talented at her hobbies of figure skating and gymnastics.
— Three out of 43 retailers told TDmonthly in May 2009 that Only Hearts Club dolls are a top-selling doll line in their stores.

Gotz's Jessica is a young lady ready for an adventure. She's 18” tall, with detailed vinyl arms, legs and head, and a flexible soft body for cuddling and posing. The Precious Day Collection is machine-washable, featuring rooted hair that will stand up to brushing, styling, washing and all other TLC that girls give their favorite dolls. Gotz Precious Day Girls are sized to the same scale as the American Girl dolls, making the clothing, shoes and other accessories in a child's collection interchangeable. Jessica has long blonde hair, blue eyes that close, and a layered skirt that coordinates with her printed pink and white top.   
— “In the Gotz, it's the toddler and older-looking girls that do better,” John Naisbitt, owner of Thinker Things in Del Mar, Calif., said in spring 2009 of what makes Gotz one of his top-selling doll lines.
— Five of 43 retailers told TDmonthly in May 2009 that Gotz is a top-selling line in their stores. 

Boldly striking the balance between sweet and funky, Fleur strikes out in Groovy style. This 13” soft fabric fashion and play doll arrives dressed in a short pink jacket, chunky striped skirt and leopard print leggings tied together with satin shoes to match her jacket. She has soft plush skin, a tumble of bouncy yarn hair, and a bright-eyed stitched expression.
— “Groovy Girls are our best sellers in the doll category,” said Kim Emigh, VP of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., in spring 2009.
— “Groovy Girls do well for us,” said Jason Curtis, owner of Funtopia in Middleton, Calif., in response to a May 2009 survey on best-selling dolls.
— Twenty-eight percent of 43 retailers surveyed told TDmonthly in May 2009 that Groovy Girls are a top seller in their stores.

This 12” doll with sleeping eyes is suitable for 18 months and up. She has a cuddly beanbag-body, allowing her to be in a little girl's embrace, or to be posed to sit up for more engaging pretend play. Calin dolls are machine washable, making care of this favorite plaything easy and confident. 
— “Corolle is our top selling doll,” said Theresa Oppenheim, owner of Toy World in Wayanta, Minn., in response to a May 2009 survey of best selling dolls. 
— “Corolle is outstanding and that's what we stay with,” Jane Beck, owner of B J Beck's Toys in Cedarburg, Wis., told TDmonthly in spring 2009.
— “Those are the best dolls on the market,” Lori Hershman said of Corolle in her Hamden, Conn., toy store, Evan's Toy Shoppe. Hershman was among 26 of 43 storeowners who named Corolle as their best-selling doll line in May 2009.

Hair extensions that snap into place give girls a chance to be creative with their babies. Like all Cabbage Patch Kids, each baby comes with a birth certificate and adoption papers. Additional Hair Play Accessory Packs are sold separately. Launch date: Fall 2009.

The first thing anybody wants to know about a new baby is if it's a girl or a boy. These dolls, wrapped in a leaf, recreate this suspense when a little girl brings the doll home and unwraps the leaf to discover if the diaper is pink or blue. Launch date: Fall 2009.

Taking a break from celebrity, Miley goes back to the farm, and is reunited with this beautiful horse in the Hannah Montana movie. The doll comes with fashions directly from the movie. Girls may be inspired to recreate movie scenes or script their own fun.

“The Juku Couture line gives young girls a creative outlet for self-expression through fashion based on the mismatched trend,” said Jennifer Caveza, VP of marketing for JAKKS Pacific. Each girl has her own story and personality: Audrina is preppy; Jun is a girly girl; Hayley is athletic and a naturalist; and Kana is a romantic punk girl. Each features multiple points of articulation and tradable clothes.

Coinciding with the release of the “Snow White Platinum Edition” DVD, Snow White comes with her woodland friends. Placing the bluebird in her hand will make it whistle. Placed in her hand again, the two of them sing together. A third time, Snow White sings “Someday My Prince Will Come” while her sleeves light up. Launch date: July 2009.

Expanding the world of Baby In My Pocket is a series of playsets, including Playtime Preschool and Naptime Nursery (pictured). Gentle pastels and miniature toys and rattles complete the scene. Each set comes with more than 20 accessories, three poseable Babies and photo stickers.

Three different babies come in each set of this collectible toy line. The triple packs also come with photo stickers so girls can keep track of all the babies they've cared for.

Music is one element that made the movie. The dolls come with a microphone that plays a signature song from the movie. Gabriella, Troy and Sharpay lend their voices to the songs, or kids can take turns with the characters, back and forth, like a karaoke night. If the microphone is close to the doll's mouth, the characters' voices start singing in perfect timing with the song.

The charismatic teens from the movie series — Gabriella, Troy, Sharpay, Ryan, Taylor, Chad and Kelsi — are captured as fashion dolls from a key scene in “High School Musical 3.” The poseable dolls are dressed in their formal graduation attire, complete with cap and gown, and even class rings for the girls.