August 2009 New Specialty Toys — Books

This illustrated pop-up book offers a novel twist on The Night Before Christmas. Written by A. J. Wood, it's illustrated by Stephen Lambert.

This little photo album holds six 4" x 6" photos and a wallet-size photo of the people baby loves most. Each photo is framed by a bold color and has a geometric pattern where photos are to be placed, designed to cultivate baby’s visual acuity. A colorful tab at the bottom of each page helps baby learn to turn the book’s pages. "The photo book provides interaction opportunities between parent and baby and helps introduce baby to new names and people," Peggy Barrett, PR consultant at Barrett Marketing Communications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2009.

In true DK Publishing style, the Visual Dictionary is designed to elucidate, illuminate, and excite even the most discerning LEGO, Star Wars, and minifigure fans around the world. Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda, Luke Skywalker and others are brought to life with dozens of little-known facts and hundreds of photos, as are accessories, vehicles, weapons, and even the Death Star. Kids and adults can learn about the history, manufacture and construction of the minifigures of the Star Wars Universe, and come away a Lego Jedi Master. "LEGO and Star Wars are two of the world's most well-recognized and successful franchises, and have been collaborating since the 1998 release of the first LEGO Star Wars minifigures," Jenna Banks, director of sales for EE Distribution, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 31, 2009.
— "LEGO Star Wars — we just blew out of those," Bill Sartain, co-owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, told TDmonthly, citing sales of about 50 of these books a month in late 2009. Two of 44 specialty retailers named this title when discussing best-selling books.

These books are filled with bright, bold images and made from sturdy “wet-proof” material designed to stand up to eager hands, teething and readers who drool over the pages. The colors, geometric designs and symmetrical elements can calm baby and help little ones focus. The words imitate baby’s first babbling sounds, including “baba,” "dada” and “mama,” and encourage baby to experiment with language and refine his skills. A soft, plush block featuring images from the books reinforces the sights and sounds. "Engaging baby early in language is fundamental, as both communication and language development are significantly shaped by experiences. By 9 months of age, babies can recognize specific words up to two weeks after hearing them read repeatedly from a storybook," Peggy Barrett, PR consultant at Barrett Marketing Communications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2009.

Santa's biggest secret is revealed in The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition gift set, with a North Pole pixie-elf (available with light skin or dark skin and dark eyes, as pictured), a hardbound children's book and a keepsake box. Launch date: October 15, 2009.
— Owner Diana Nelson of Kazoo & Co. in Denver told TDmonthly in fall 2009 that her store sells about 36 Elf on the Shelf sets per month.

Creatively designed for story telling, pretend and imaginative play and overall interaction with family, our storytelling dolls (3 positions for each doll) have been very popular over the years. Curious Goldilocks flips in surprise to discover Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear.

Kids will do more than just turn the pages with this cloth book: They'll button, zip, lace, buckle, snap items, and more. Between covers, there's page after page of activities to develop important motor skills. The book can be zipped up and carried about for car trips and overnights to Grandma's.

Complete with photos, drawings, footnotes and diagrams, this guide boasts 300+ entries, including how-tos such as “How to Do a Wheelie” and “How to Really Annoy Your Older Sibling.” The book received a National Parenting Publications Gold Award.

Favor Johnson is a delightful story of loving and giving that epitomizes what the holiday season should be all about. In many ways life is moving much too fast these days and we have lost track of what is really important. This story of the wonderful old Vermont farmer, Favor Johnson, told by Willem Lange and beautifully illustrated by Bert Dodson, will help us slow down and savor the true values of Christmas.

Inspired by the author’s childhood memories of receiving notes in his lunchbox, Lunchbox Stories were created as an innovative way for kids to enjoy reading. With more than 40 chapters in each book, readers experience the twists and turns of each adventure through a series of suspenseful Chapter-Cards™. Four titles are available, and each story includes full-color illustrations and packaging. "The Chapter-Cards have approximately 200 words, and are written with just enough suspense to encourage the child to read the next card. The unique design makes Lunchbox Stories effective for quick and consistent reading before bed or during the day, and teachers find they can use the short chapters to playfully regain the attention of the class after recess and lunch," Brian Martin, president of Lunchbox Stories, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 5, 2009.

Now, teaching music history is easy for teachers and fun for students. "The Right Notes" music assignment book teaches music history for instructors, freeing up their valuable time for lessons. A weekly practice chart helps keep track of practice time. The 9" X 12" pages give ample room for writing weekly notes. Each notebook lasts a year. A completed "The Right Notes" music assignment book can also act as a lasting record of a student's progress. Click here to watch publishers' 2-year-old exhibiting her musical knowledge. Launch date: January 2009.

Morsel Munk® Word Stump® is designed to fuse fun, imagination and exercise for the mind. It's where word association, synonyms and antonyms meet crosswords and word searches. "The goal of these puzzles is to challenge and expand the creativity of which everyone is capable. They are not strictly a test of knowledge/book smarts," Brigitte Rouleau, vice president of Morsel Munk LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2008.

This lift-the-flap board book features colorful illustrations showing how different animals around the world walk, slide, hop and more. It is written by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Caroline Mockford.
—  Barefoot Books were listed as top sellers by Candace Gooch, owner of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, in spring 2009.

This iBaby Float Along set includes a book that teaches early-learning concepts and include three floatable turtle toys to serve as bath toys. The bath book teaches children all about opposites as the turtles float in the tub during bathtime. By Ana Martin Larranaga (illustrator).

A hermit crab is in search of a place to be alone by the seashore, but he discovers that many creatures call the seashore home. Sidebar facts about sea lions, starfish, pelicans, and other amazing animals introduce kids to life at the seashore. By Ruth Koeppel (author) and Scott McBee (illustrator).