December 2011 New Specialty Toys — All

Ambre is the perfect fashionable doll to delight fans of Miss Corolle! Dressed in a bright red coat with pink skirt, coordinating striped scarf, trendy boots, and an unbelievably soft fuzzy hat, she is ready for the chilly weather of the season! Ambre's bright blue eyes and long, rooted hair make her the perfect new friend for girls ages 3 and up. Launch date: January 2010.

This adorable soft-bodied baby doll comes complete with its own feeding bottle and soft bunny. Thanks to the mini picture book that is also included, little girls can learn how to take care of Bebe Do Mode just like a real mommy. Dressed in a bright new outfit for the new year, this classic 14" Corolle doll will be treasured for years to come. Launch date: January 2004.
Awards: 2011 Oppenheim Platinum Ableplay
― In a May 2012 survey about dolls, 5 out of 11 retailers said Corolle was their best selling brand.

The first Corolle doll ever made, Bebe Cheri is relaunched every year with a new outfit to celebrate. At 20 inches tall, Bebe Cheri is sized like a real 3 month old baby. This year (2011), she comes dressed in an adorably bright flowered jumper. She can even wear real baby clothes (size 3 months), making her a treasured heirloom to be passed down for generations. Launch date: 1980.

Soft and light, this adorable snuggly will delight the very young.  It jingles softly when shaken and has lots of "handles" for tiny fingers to grasp. 9.5 inches tall. Machine washable. Available in 2 more colors: Elf Sky (blue) and Elf Apricot (peach). Launch date: January 2011.

There's no one alive that's Youer than You!" Children can transform into their favorite Dr. Seuss Character with these Character Hooded Towels. 27"W x 36"H; fits up to size 3T. Launch date: 2010.

This bear is made from high quality woven plush mohair. He was produced in cooperation with the Bear Park Worbis and was modeled on a real, existing bear.  He is limited to 500 pieces worldwide. It is 11.8 inch tall and filled with polyester fiber. Launch date: 2011.

When a storm makes a mess of the neighborhood, everyone lends a helping hand. In the meantime, Grover is invited to a Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem. Come join Matisyahu and Oofnik as they beat box the Hava Nagila. It's "Sesame Street for the Jewish American consumer - The Jewish Version of Sesame street with familiar Sesame Street characters and their Israeli furry friends," Haim Scheininger, president of SISU Home Entertainment, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy Best Pick Award; 2011 Hugo Television Award (for “It’s Passover. Grover!); 2011 CINE Golden Eagle Award.

PINKALICIOUS & SILVERLICIOUS* (NY Times Bestselling Children's Book List), PURPLICIOUS, AND GOLDILICIOUS Hardcover books by Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann - COMPLETE SERIES. Sixteen 27" square 100% nylon scarves, two of each in the following colors: cotton candy pink, dazzling pink, sunset sky-blue pink, perky purple, starbright gold, white frosting, silver, and lively lavender; An IDEAS Music CD with lots of dancing, twirling, magically inspired music selections; Instructional/informational inserts. Easy to store in our reusable sturdy storage bag with self-closing handles.Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: Silverlicious - 2011 Creative Child's Book of the Year and Media of the Year Award.

An easy craft project that is sure to have kids entertained for hours on end, eeBoo Paper Chains spruce up a room, bring life to a party or just get crafty. Each pack features 120 colorful links with easy to assemble slide-in tabs (no glue needed) and stretches 24 feet. Three paper chain designs to choose from: Animal Chain, Ribbon Chain, and Chain Letter. "Each link has a simple slot and tab, allowing the chains to be recombined and used over and over again," Regina Gelin, sales & marketing associate at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2011.

The Sandtrooper Deluxe Figure - Desert Sands Detachment 12 inch Figure features:  Armored Body with over 30+ points of articulation; Detailed and hand painted Sandtrooper helmet portrait; Highly detailed full body armor set with updated weathering deco ;One (1) pair trigger grip hands; One (1) pair support hands; Survival Pack with updated configuration; Long Cycle Filter; Short Cycle Filter ;Grey Pauldron; Sergeant Pauldron; Two (2) Triple Magazine Waist Pouches; Triple Magazine Chest Pouch; Belt Pouch; BlasTech E-11 Blaster; BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle; RT-97C Heavy Blaster Rifle; BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster; Desert base stand cover; Lower support extendable figure stand with Star Wars logo. Launch date: November 2011.

The Kiwi is made of high quality woven plush mohair. It is 11.8 inches tall and filled with polyester fiber. No wires will be used for the legs and beak. "Something that distinguishes our animals from others on the market is our endeavor for a very natural appearance. All our animals are made of very high quality materials. These we refer only from manufacturers in Europe. In addition, all animals are handmade in Germany," Peter Straubel from Kösener Spielzeug Manufaktur GmbH told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2011.

TRI : 3-Way Thinking Games "TRI your brains, TRI your words, TRI your luck. Multiple Games for Endless Fun." This is a new game set that challenges players' perceptive, tactical and word powers. Instructions include 4 different games, and will be extensible to other new playing methods in the future. Launch date: October 2011.

Squeeze-powered, kid-sized flashlights. Each animal's nose lights up when switched on. Side lever stores inside the body—release and squeeze to charge up the light.
— June Hargrove, co-owner of Black Forest Books & Toys in Charlotte, N.C., told TDmonthly in September 2011 that they sell 12 of this item each month.

This Little Helper Broom Set has three pieces, sized for kids. Includes a Broom, a Hand Broom and a Dust Pan.
— As of 09/09/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 91 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Ginger Milligan, co-owner of Fantasy Island Toys in Fairhope, Al., told TDmonthly in September 2011 that they sell 2-3 dozen of the Schylling Little Helpers Broom Set each month. “We sell those every single day. It's one of those things we're never out of,” she said.

The Magic Coloring Book has become a favorite with children's magicians for good reason: it's quick, visual and completely deceptive. Ours is printed exclusively for Fantasma and is offered at a great price. First, the magician shows blank pages. Next, the pages show pictures of some of the things the magician likes most, "favorite things," cars, ice cream, popcorn. The pictures are in black and white. Somehow they don't seem real enough. A bit of magic and they are now the magician's favorite things in full color. Oh, and did we mention, we've also hidden card images in the book, so it can be used with card magic. Instructions for the book and for the card tricks are included.
— Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Brynn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly in a September 2011 survey that "the best-selling novelty item is the magic coloring book from Schylling, but only because I love to demo it. Very seldom does that not result in a sale. I can sell a couple of dozen in any particular month."

These micro-sized building blocks will enable kids to execute even the finest details like never before. With over 100 pieces, kids watch in amazement as this regal bird takes shape right beneath your fingertips. With a finished size of 1.5″w x 1.5″d x 2.36h, only this giant penguin is able to fit perfectly in the palm of a hand.  Includes detailed color instructions. 9 animal designs currently available.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., told TDmonthly that nanoblocks were an overall best seller at their store.

The events of September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. In the fourth installment of the Actual Times series, Don Brown narrates the events of the day in a way that is both accessible and understandable for young readers. Straightforward and honest, this account moves chronologically through the morning, from the plane hijackings to the crashes at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania; from the rescue operations at the WTC site to the collapse of the buildings. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the emotion and pathos of the tragedy making this an important book about an unforgettable day in American history. Launch date: August 26, 2011.
— As of 09/09/2011 this product had 4.25 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings on GoodReads.com.
— A School Library Journal Starred review.
— "While the book is written for a younger audience, you should still use your judgment on whether it’s appropriate for your own kids. The watercolor illustrations do show some of the destruction and explosions, as well as people being pulled out of rubble, but avoids showing graphic scenes of the dead and dying." Jonathan Liu, Geek Dad review

Packaged with a ribbon and greeting card, ready to give. 8 sturdy cardboard boxes, each with a hand drawn illustration, contained in an outer, brightly colored package. This beautiful package will decorate your home as one box is opened each night OR Remove them from the outer carton and give one box at a time with no wrapping required. Toys included are: Switch Pitch ball, Jacob's Ladder, Dreidel, milk chocolate gelt, Amazing Flying Monkey, Fortune Telling Fish, Punch Balloons, Disappearing coin trick, Paper Ballons, and Silly Bands. Also available without gifts for $19.95.

The Starry Night would have been just another landscape if it were not for van Gogh’s swirling layered brush strokes that make the painting come alive. The Starry Night Master Kitz includes all the tools your child needs to create their own Starry Night masterpiece and learning materials to deepen their understanding of the original painting. Each Starry Night Master Kitz includes:A sturdy, re-usable art tool box with magnetic closures, 3 Custom Acrylic Paints (child friendly), 5 Custom Oil Pastels (child friendly), 1 van Gogh Roller specially designed to , replicate van Gogh’s active stroke, 1 re-usable Starry Night Cyprus Stencil, 1 standard paint roller, 2 pieces deluxe art paper, 1 low tack “Mesmerizing Stars” sticker sheet, Fun, easy-to-understand van Gogh learning materials, Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. The Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt and Water Lilies by Claude Monet kits are also available. Fifteen percent of Kidzaw’s profits are donated to programs that fund art for disadvantaged public schools in urban areas.
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, January 2012
— Why it won: This fun kit introduces kids to one of the most famous pieces of art in the world. Including educational materials about van Gogh, the kit also provides paint, stickers, and the tools necessary for kids to recreate, or re-imagine, the Starry Night painting.

Toobalink is the only construction toy that uses paper towel tubes and toilet tissue tubes as a main building element.  A Toobalink set comes with all the pieces necessary to build a wide variety of connectors, which are then used to hold the tubes together to build large scale structures. Each Toobalink kit comes with 39 pieces, including brand new tubes so that kids can get building right away. Kids love it because they can collect more tubes to build bigger, better structures and parents love it because the extra building material is FREE. Made in the USA. Launch date: June 2012.

Based on the 1960's comic version of the Green Lantern, this all plastic assembly kit is packaged in retro style packaging reminiscent of the figure kits of the 60's. 18 molded styrene pieces in green, and transparent green, give the illusion that Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern is actually flying. Launch date: September 2011.

Paul Frank's iconic monkey, Julius, has become a collectible toy produced by Super Rad Toys. Julius comes in two versions, Do-It-Yourself and Original. Now kids can own their favorite character to play with or collect. "The quality of Julius is what sets him apart. WIth his articulating head, arms, and feet you can pose Julius any way you like," Sidney Richlin, owner of Super Rad Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2011.

This NY Times Bestselling Book and Multi-Award Winning Activity Kit is an educational tool with a thousand uses. These bright colorful scarves stimulate the senses, encourage movement and teach and reinforce color recognition. Parents can use this book to encourage imagination and solo and choral reading. Dance to the music or use for dress up. These scarves are an open-ended tool, limited only by the users imagination. Launch date: June 2011.
Awards: 2011 Winner of Creative Child's Book of the Year and Media of the Year Awards

Obstacles is a journey along a path of hazards and barriers which are overcome by the collective cleverness of its players. Armed with an unlikely set of tools, imagination, and some silliness, players "cooperate" creatively to innovate solutions that let them get home together. "Obstacles is eeBoo's first "cooperative" game. It teaches the useful skill of creative collaboration and makes for a play experience that is positive and constructive as it promotes good feelings amongst players. It is a perfect game for parents, children, and siblings to be silly and imaginative together," Regina Gelin, sales and marketing associate at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.
Awards: 2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award - Platinum