June 2009 Notable Toys — All

Everybody's favorite beagle keeps his chick buddy, Woodstock, warm with a striped muffler.

Doraemon is a fat-cat robot in Japan, where he's reigned as one of the more popular cartoon characters since his debut in the 1970s. In his pocket he keeps an assortment of gadgets, plus a nuclear bomb to take care of dreaded mice and rats. This 13" cuddly plush is just one of the many different kinds of Doraemons a fan can collect.

A fluffy seal lying on a fluffy cloud resting on a fluffy pillow: what could be more soothing? The backside is thick wooly fleece material and the front has a wonderful embroidered image of Mamegoma.

Not your average teddy bear, Gloomy Bear is a murderous beast, his latest victim dangling from his bloody claws. Only the strangest children would want hope to see this critter walk across the bedroom at midnight.

This 2" x 4" turtle keychain is equipped with a blue light that's activated when one presses down on its soft shell. Launch date: 2009.

These designer toys are cutely sinister.

We at Daydream believe that anything can be child's play. Once engaged in an entertaining meal, children won't notice that they are actually eating very healthy food. Kids spin the spinner and eat food from wherever the spinner lands. The matching mug completes this innovative gift set that will have grandparents, parents and children all Playing with their Food (and eating it, too)!

Includes: Plate (game board), Mug, Spinner. Plate and mug are made of melamine; not for use in the microwave; dishwasher safe.

Draw a line and the vehicle will follow! It is more than just a race set; it’s a craft activity that encourages children to be creative allowing for many ways to play. With the official Doodle Track marker and the included play mat, the Doodle Track car will follow a continuous line drawn on the mat by the marker. The Doodle Track car also comes with colorful, stick-on decals for customization. Set includes: Doodle Track Car, Washable Marker, Stick-On Decals, Playmat Track and Instructions.

Other Videos:
Aunt Jean's Toys and Treats

On the road, in the air or anywhere, kids can have fun with Minis! Perfect on their own or for use with the full-sized cushions. Set includes 6 square 8" cushions and 4 triangle cushions plus a sun and moon decoration all packaged in a handy travel backpack.

Kiwi and Pear are a pair of monkeys who do everything together, and n ow they're off on a trip around the world. They travel to every continent, visiting penguins in Antarctica and llamas in Peru, snapping photos of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the pyramids at Giza, snorkling at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and touring the Taj Mahal in India. The rhyming text and sweet illustrations are presented on gatefold pages and at the back of the book is a map where readers can follow Kiwi and Pear's adventures by putting a sticker on each country they visit.

A story about sewing and sharing, recycling and remembering, this book follows a special party dress a grandmother makes for her granddaughter. When her granddaughter grows taller, new fabric is added. The next year, the dress is ingeniously turned into a sleeveless jumper. Finally, when the little girl turns ten and is ready for a new outfit, she decides to give the dress to her little cousin so it can be her forever dress. Liz Murphy's collage artwork is the perfect medium for this inventive story of sewing and altering, mixing and matching, and the rituals that connect generations.

The World of Noodoll: Ricehead's Revenge! introduces a world that's visually exciting, boundlessly creative, and fantastically fun. Part picture book, part graphic novel, with plenty of characters to search for and extra details to explore, this is a book young readers will return to again and again.

Follow the glittery line that runs through this picture book and turns itself into all kinds of things; the waves above an octopus, the veins in a leaf, the wrappings curling around a mummy, and the trapping threads of a spiderweb. Candice Whitman's catchy rhyming text is brought to life by a host of creepy critters from first-time illustrator Steve Wilson.

Bright colored and super-chunky for little hands, Polly's Pony Adventure includes six pieces to accompany a child on a horse-riding adventure. The car and horse trailer attach easily with magnets, getting the two characters and their two horses ready to go on the road.  Other arena-side accessories, as well as the push-button tailgate and shape-sorting roof of the trailer, add to the fun.
— “Wow toys are my best seller, bar none,” said Ron Kutchik, owner of Grand Slam Toys in Kodiak, Alaska. Kutchik listed Wow Toys as not only his best-selling playset in an April 2009 survey, but also as a long-time top seller in his entire inventory.

Cloverleaf Corners is a busy little town, complete with a ballet studio. With this playset from International Playthings, children can tell the story of aspiring ballerina Britney Bunny. The set includes three tiny dresses that fit the poseable, flocked bunny character, a mirror, and a ballet bar. Britney Bunny's Ballet Set integrates fully with the wide variety of other Calico Critters sets.
— “Calico Critters is fabulous, for the fantasy. All girls love those,” said Sheryl Guidera, owner of Kaleidoscope: The Parent Teacher Store in Capitola, Calif., in April 2009. 
— “[We] sell a ton of them,” Becca Bramhall, owner of Dandelion Toys in Fort Collins, Colo., told TDmonthly when she listed Calico Critters as her best-selling playset line in spring 2009.

Just the right size for a variety of tiny treasures, jewelry or other extra-special keepsakes, this miniature craft kit from Melissa & Doug comes with four pots of paint, a brush, glitter, white glue, and glittering gems to decorate the lidded, heart-shaped box.
— “It's a party favor. A cute and fun activity,” Linda Rocco, owner of Gummy Lump Toys in Medford, N.Y., told TDmonthly when asked about top-selling activity kits in spring 2009.
— Seven of 49 retailers surveyed in April 2009 listed Melissa & Doug as a top-selling activity brand in their stores.
— Bill Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, told TDmonthly in a May 2014 survey that items from the Melissa & Doug "Decorate Your Own..." line are their best-selling activity kits.

With My Giant Busy Box, kids can craft and create with two frames, four animal punch outs, 10 colors of dough, two peel-and-stick tissue art pictures, plenty of tissue paper, and glue. All the supplies come in a handy storage box with an easy tote-along handle.
— “It's awesome,” said Vicki Davis, owner of Children's Prep in Atlanta, Ga. In an April 2009 survey of best-selling activity kits and playsets, Davis reported sales of about a dozen per month.
— About 10 percent of 49 retailers named Alex as a best-selling activity kit line in spring 2009.

Kids can take their imaginations to the high seas with the rough-and-tumble Red Corsair. Crimson sails are emblazoned with the Jolly Roger, and the Red Corsair comes with three pirates, a cannon and other assorted accessories to dress up the deck. The boat floats and will accommodate the Playmobil motor, available as an add-on. Launch date: August 2009.
— “Playmobil is our best seller. Everything in that line is strong,” said Peggy Sebert, owner of Becky & Me Toys in Glenview, Ill., of her best-selling playsets in spring 2009.
— “Playmobil as a line. The pirate ship is probably the best in that line,” Dean Nelson, owner of Wizard Kids Toys in Toledo, Ohio, told TDmonthly during an April 2009 survey on playsets. 
— “As a brand, Playmobil is our No. 1 selling brand in store. All day long, everyday,” remarked Casey Sartain, buyer at Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eleven of 49 retailers surveyed in April 2009 named Playmobil as a best seller.

Our hats, mittens & scarves are plush and warm inside and out. The perfect mix of style and comfort. Available in all sizes from infant to adult.

Our Lounge Wear is made from our signature ultra soft minky chenille. Our hoodie is perfect as a light weight jacket or as a top in those colder months. The lounge pants are perfect anytime.

Choose from our plush double sided Minky Chenille to our tactile Satin & Minky Blankets. Our soft, luxurious blankets come in four great sizes.

Form, function & fashion continue with our booties. Minky inside and out for comfort, warmth and style with a side snap design that actually stays on the babies feet.

Passing the Bar is a board game tested and approved by practicing attorneys. It was designed specifically as an entertaining supplement for law students to help them prepare for the multi-state bar examination. Passing the bar is "the only board game/gift/study aid for the 1.2 million lawyers and law students that involves former bar exam questions. It is sold in close to half the law schools in the country," Adam Reinhardt, vice president of P&R Educational Games, told TDmonthly.