February 2010 Notable Toys — Books

Baby GoGo™ Goes Home comes with the baby doll in the Baby GoGo™ Introductory Set. This storybook follows Baby GoGo™’s experience coming home from the hospital, meeting the family, having a bottle, and earning a nickname. "The book and doll combination for helping a child prepare for a new sibling," Katie Wylonis told TDmonthly.

Norman PhartEphant is an elephant with a bit of a gaseous problem. “Volume 1” tells of his move from Africa to a U.S. zoo and his adjustment to the new environment, culture and diet. The 32-page book is printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink and measures 9” x 7”.
— Reviewers praise the hilarious illustrations and educational story. CPA Mom of Did You See That? reports that the bodily noises featured in the book drew in and delighted her son, while her daughter was drawn to the story of making friends and understanding. Parents can purchase the Norman PhartEphant plush toy to bring the story to life; Sage and Savvy’s Sagemom enjoyed reading the story to her kids while they played with the stuffed Norman. See also 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires.

Zoobies teamed up with the World of Eric Carle to launch the Zoobies Very Hungry Caterpillar Toy, Blanket & Book Combo. This plush character folds into a pillow with a butterfly print blanket zipped inside. The package also includes the classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” board book.
Awards:  2010 NAPPA Gold Award.
Launch date: February 2010.

Written by Lana Button and illustrated by Tania Howells, this four-color, 32-page hardcover tells the story of a girl who speaks so quietly at school that she's misunderstood and ignored. Her magic microphone out of recycled items is only a solution for a little while; how will she be heard? Launch date: 2010.

TDmonthly Review:

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Vincent isn't like other kids his age. He isn't good at sports and has an overly creative mind. Vincent's super-secret lab in his attic filled with toy prototypes, and a chance meeting with a strange toy inventor gets him started on the road to becoming a serious toy inventor. Launch date: November 2009.

Written by Keltie Thomas and illustrated by Stephen MacEachern, this book delves into the history of science of figure skating as a sport, a lineup of the most creative moves, info about partnerships and rivalries, and much more.

TDmonthly Review:

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Written by Mary Wallace, this tale of Alaska's Inuit people illustrates each letter of "Inuksuk" in acrostic poem, connecting the meaning of each word to the people and their surroundings. Launch date: September 2009.

Complete with a CD featuring the singalong song "Driving My Tractor," this book follows a farmer as he collects animals in his trailer and then hits a bump and they all fly out! It's written by Jan Dobbins and illustrated by David Sim.

"Lin Yi's Lantern" is a heartwarming tale about a boy who's on a mission to get things for his mother at the market ... but who really wants a red rabbit lantern for the night's moon festival. This story shows the benefits of putting others before oneself, and includes notes of Chinese life, the legend of the moon fairy and the moon festival.

TDmonthly Review:

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Chester Raccoon and friends are devastated at the loss of their friend Skiddel Squirrel and, at the suggestion of Mrs. Raccoon, plan a special memorial service for him at the pond. This story is designed to help children understand and cope with funerals and the trauma of losing a loved one, encouraging them to create special memories. It's authored by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara Gibson.

TDmonthly Review:

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Written by Kimiko Kajikawa and illustrated by Ed Young, this 32-page hardcover tells the story of a rich, old villager name Ojiisan who makes a great sacrifice to save his fellow villagers in the midst of a great tsunami. Launch date: February 5, 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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Written Susan Lopez and illustrated by Ulises Wensell, this book follows little girl Carlota's dreams of her new family on the verge of being adopted from the orphanage. Carlota then finds out that even though her new mom isn't a pastry chef and her dad isn't a pirate, they really are the best family in the world.

This 64-page, full-color book written by Dr. Stephen Law introduces young readers to questions about life and the universe, leading them to ponder and learn about such things as, "What happened before the Big Bang?" and "What makes stealing wrong?" It's presented in question-and-answer form with quirky quotations. Launch date: October 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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This lift-the-flap educational book explores geology, geography, meteorology and astronomy, taking kids on a journey to discover the ground under the feet as well as the clouds and the magnificent solar system. It's written by Pascale Hédelin and illustrated by Laurent Richard and Terri Bjorgan. The 9" x 9.5" book features color illustrations and 38 pages. Launch date: September 2009.

TDmonthly Review:

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In this story, presented as a 32-page hardcover, a little boy points out all the things his father knows, including the names of clouds and which insects are "buzziest." In rhyming verse, i's written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Launch date: April 27, 2010.

In Spot’s Toy’s there’s an added bonus of two teething toys and a very soft cover. No need to worry about ripping these large pages, they’re made of cloth! Launch date: Spring 2010

This extended, 24-page sticker book is beautifully illustrated in the classic Winnie-the-Pooh style. Now you too can visit Pooh, his friends, and all of his favorite places. With over 75 reusable stickers, this book is a must-have for Pooh fans of all ages.

Winnie-the-Pooh likes honey more than anything else! So much, in fact, that he tries to reach a beehive high atop a tree by holding on to a balloon. This 12-page board book is based on A. A. Milne’s first Winnie-the- Pooh story, “In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees and the Stories Begin.”

The sixth illustrated book of the series follows Mandy, an adopted Chinese girl, and Pandy the Panda, her best friend. Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo is an exciting story journey through the local zoo, with Mandy and Pandy stopping by different exhibits and greeting the animals.  Children can learn the Chinese and English names for exciting wild creatures such as tigers, hippos and flamingos. An audio CD is included with each book to help reinforce what is being read and for English-speaking children to hear the proper pronunciation of the Chinese translation. Each CD includes the entire story read aloud by the author in both English and Chinese. Launch date: Spring 2010

The fifth illustrated book of the series follows Mandy, an adopted Chinese girl, and Pandy the Panda, her best friend. In this version of the classic “I Spy” game played by kids everywhere, Mandy and Pandy visit the lake and ask each other about the colors of the objects around them.  All the colors of the rainbow are named, along with brown, white and black. An audio CD is included with each book to help reinforce what is being read and for English-speaking children to hear the proper pronunciation of the Chinese translation. Each CD includes the entire story read aloud by the author in both English and Chinese. Launch date: Spring 2010

2pc novelty book mark set. Each set includes a 4.5" bookmark with matching 3.5" bookmark. Available in cute character designs.

These books each feature a 8” x 8” inch fold-out backdrop for the story, a 26-page book and flashlight. In each story, the flashlight is used to cast shadows on the die-cut pages with images of ordinary objects, the resulting shadow looks a little scary! Through storytelling and fun examples, the child learns that the shadows need not be feared. Comes in “Camping Out,” “Forest Fairies” and “Time for Bed.”

— Baby Loving Mama’s Emilie loved being able to show her children that shadows are not frightening. She warned that the cut outs may need a table or other flat surface to remain stable and create shadows properly.
— Renee of What Mommies Need reviewed the Camping Out book from the Shadow Books series. She applauded the book for teaching “that storytime is better when you use your imagination” and enhanced the experience for her son by reading the story inside a blanket tent. Renee also noted that the set’s flashlight includes batteries so it is ready to go right out of the package.

These bright, eye-catching flip cover designs are created to make revisiting the past more fun than ever before. "The lenticular flip front covers flip from one colorful image to another," Leslie Montalbano, Prepress Manager, ISCREAM, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 4, 2010.
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With these cool stationery books, kids just write it, seal it and send it. It includes 40 full-color letters and matching stickers. "Our designs are hip and fun," Leslie Montalbano, Prepress Manager, ISCREAM, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 4, 2010.
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