March 2013 Notable Toys — Gifts

Francois is one of 7 different Llamas to choose from! Douglas has a huge stable full of breed specific llamas and horses.  This silky llama is a combination of extremely soft materials and has the most irresistible face. 12" tall.

An armful of fluffy, soft fur, this raccoon is a wonderful toy or a premier gift! He is so cuddly with the sweetest face, yet is made so expertly that he looks very realistic!  He is one of the many unusual and usual breed specific animals that Douglas is famous for producing for their wildlife collection. 16" long.
— Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park Toys in Kingwood, Texas, told TDmonthly that plush from Douglas was a best-seller with tweens. "They have a lot of variety, so they even have 'oddball' animals like skunks, and they sell across age groups. Douglas is a great manufacturer," he told us.

Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history. The word candy began to be used in the late 13th Century, coming into English from the French "çucre candi." Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a  syrup, which is then boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The resulting type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. As the syrup is heated and boils, the water evaporates, the sugar concentration increases and the boiling point temperature rises. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration. In general, higher temperatures and greater sugar concentrations result in hard, brittle candies, and lower temperatures result in softer candies. The candy business underwent drastic changes in the 1830s when technological advances and the greatly increased supply of sugar reduced its cost and opened up the market. Confectioners no longer supplied candy only to the wealthy, but to children, as well. The village candy store became a favorite of children of the American working class. Penny candies epitomized this transformation of candy, and candy became the first product on which children spent their own money. For this reason, candy store owners often relied almost entirely on the business of children to stay in business.  Today the global sales of candy are about $60 billion.

Ages 3 months to 24 months.The Octo-Brush from Baby Banana is a 100% silicone toothbrush and teether in one. The unique design of this product has nubs, bumps and suction cups on its unique tentacles, making teething and brushing 8 times more exciting for little ones. Specially engineered token bristles on the underside of the tentacles help children get used to manipulating a cleaning device in their mouths, while still having fun and being able to hold the Octo-Brush all on their own!

Aurora will initially release 18 My Little Pony styles with suggested retail prices ranging from $15-$20. Twelve small ponies each with a personalized carrying bag (Aurora’s popular Fancy Pals™ style; size: 6”) and six soft plush ponies (just over 10 inches in size) highlight the line. My Little Pony plush will be available for purchase in both the United States & Canada in Aurora’s retail channel of more than 25,000 specialty stores and gift shops as well as online at http://shop.auroragift.com. For more information, visit http://auroragift.com, email info@auroragift.com or call 888-287-6722.
— Gary Green, owner of Toy Box of Asheville Inc in Asheville, N.C., told TDmonthly in a May 2014 survey that Aurora's My Little Pony was their best-selling line of licensed toys.

This book comes with all the plastic pieces, paper parts, and special pages you need to experience 25 impossible things. These objects work like magic, but there are no tricks. All this weirdness has a solid scientific basis and we tell you why — from the mathematically amazing Möbius strip (a band of paper with only one side), to cardstock acrobats with amazing balance, to a color-changing spinning top.

BrainstormProducts shows their new Glass World products, including a new Hello Kitty line that will join their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ugly Doll, and Angry Birds collections. Made 100% of glass - no paints or dyes.

This highly usable collection of 30 songs invites children to sing, move and learn. With seven songs for each Season - Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall - plus hello and goodbye songs, children will be up and moving from the get-go. Launch date: December 2012.

The ALEXANDER GIRARD COLOR board book celebrates the vivid, playful, and sophisticated world of 20th century design icon Alexander Girard. Especially known for his textile designs for Herman Miller, Girard's wide-ranging repertoire also spanned many disciplines, including interior design, graphic design, and furniture design. This chunky board book is another wonderful addtiion to our series that features both design greats and up-and-coming new talent. ALEXANDER GIRARD COLOR features the vintage 1972 illustration "Girls" on the cover, as well as 26 classic Girard designs. Launch date: February 2012.

The EAMES MEMORY GAME features the iconic designs of Charles and Ray Eames. From their furniture design, graphics, textiles, toy design, architecture, exhibit design, and film, these modern masters are considered the pre-eminent pioneers of mid-century design. Most recently, their story is told in the 2011 documentary, Eames: The Architect and The Painter, and their living room, and all its contents, have been rebuilt and installed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of the Pacific Standard Time Show. Launch date: January 2013.

These pink plush animal friends swing and chime with a shake. Colorful fringes add texture and explorability. Best of all, baby can take the fun anywhere as the toy's easy-grip rubber clip attaches to almost anything.

Aurora’s award-winning Miyoni™ line features adorable animals from popular domestic, woodland, farm and jungle categories that are incredibly realistic and made with exceptional attention to detail. The collection boasts over 200 styles with new introductions throughout the year. Ages 3+ MSRP: $15.50

These Sidekix Toys are just like the pets kids have at home — only they can take them anywhere and they're a lot easier to clean up after. When these little furry friends are zipped into a ball they are ready for action. They can be tossed, kicked, thrown or anything a ball can do. By pulling on the custom made Sidekix Toys zipper pull kids can transform their sidekix back and forth from the ball to their lovable and furry friends.

A velvety-soft security blanket for your baby. Each Cloud b character has a comforting expression that suggests it's time for sleep. Playful design allows Peekaboo Lovie to come out for play or be tucked in for sleepy-time. Features: 100% Polyester; Measures 13" x 13".

This laugh-out-loud funny and devilish send-up of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline is for little monsters everywhere. Frankenstein is the scariest of all the monsters in Miss Devel's castle. He can frighten anything-animals, parents, even rocks. Until one night, Miss Devel wakes up and runs downstairs to find that Frankenstein has lost his head.
— As of 12/5/2012 this product had 4.9 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on Amazon.com
— In a Winter 2012 survey Jessica Wood from Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., told TDmonthly that this was their bestselling Halloween book.

From the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning I Want My Hat Back comes a second wry tale. When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened...Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale. Launch date: October 2012.
— In a Winter 2012 survey, Jessica Wood from Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., told TDmonthly that This is Not My Hat is a recent bestseller.

Have fun with Olivia...dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping (maybe), dancing, painting on walls and — whew! — going to sleep at last.
— Jessica Wood from Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., told TDmonthly in a Winter 2012 survey that Olivia books are perennial bestsellers.

Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur...and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day—for no particular reason—they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then—for no particular reason—they decided to go...someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not! This new take on a fairy-tale classic is so funny and so original—it could only come from the brilliant mind of Mo Willems.
— As of 12/4/2012 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Pat Siegfried, co-owner of Black Forest Books & Toys in Charlotte, N.C., told TDmonthly in a Winter 2012 survey that this is one of their best selling books.

This delightfully illustrated nursery rhymes book offers parents and children the joy of reading all the best-loved rhymes, as well as discovering some of the less familiar ones. My Nursery Rhymes Collection is divided into 12 themes, such as farm animals, numbers, and action rhymes — creating shorter sections to suit the attention span of young readers. Settle back together and enjoy all the merry old souls. 184 pages with beautiful, full-color illustrations. Elegant gilded spine and cover highlights. Themed sections for easy reference. Padded hardcover edition.
— In a Winter 2012 survey, Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthly that they sell 20 of this item each month.

Awesome Man can shoot positronic rays out of his eyeballs, fly as straight as an arrow, and hug mutant Jell-O! Even villains like Professor Von Evil and the Flaming Eyeball are no match for this caped crusader. But Awesome Man also has a secret...Can you guess what it is? The first picture book from Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon perfectly captures the fantasy life of young superhero fans. Launch date: September 6, 2011.
— Pat Siegfried, co-owner of Black Forest Books & Toys in Charlotte, N.C., told TDmonthly in a Winter 2012 survey that this books sells well and is on "constant reorder."

When Betty Bunny eats chocolate cake for the first time, she declares, "I am going to marry chocolate cake." She loves it so much that she takes a piece to school with her in her pocket and refuses to eat anything else. Mommy tells Betty that she has to eat healthy food first, and have patience because cake is for dessert, not pockets. But Betty doesn't want to have patience; she wants to have chocolate cake. In this hilarious and spot-on tribute to the chocolate lover (and picky eater) in all of us, a new kindred spirit to Olivia, Eloise, and Ladybug Girl makes her stand.
— As of 12/4/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 20 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a Winter 2012 survey, Pat Siegfried, co-owner of Black Forest Books & Toys in Charlotte, N.C., told TDmonthly that they sell 25-30 copies of this book each month.

How cool is this Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii Mr. Potato Head? Combining the spirit of the musical film Blue Hawaii, starring everyone's favorite crooner Elvis Presley, with the classic fun of putting together Mr. Potato head, the 6-inch tall Elvis Mr. Potato Head features The King of Rock and Roll with his trademark pompadour, in a red Hawaiian shirt. He's got a ukulele in his left hand, in case kids feel like having him bust out some tunes. And what kind of Hawaiian would Elvis be without that yellow lei flower necklace? Elvis fans will love the mini parody album cover included inside the packaging, too.