June 2012 Notable Toys — All

This beautiful Princess Glitter Dress is a perfect fit for all princesses in training. The top is made with light pink velour, it's adorned with a silver crown, and it's trimmed with a silver metallic bias. The skirt has a pink lining to prevent scratching, a layer of rosette stiff tulle for volume, and it's topped with peony glitter netting. "This dress is our own unique design and it's hand made in Canada," Veesha Knight, Pink Poppy Brand Manager for Creative Education of Canada, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2012.

The mid-sized police station and airport hangar clamp onto a table, door or other surface to create the ultimate adventure, featuring multiple levels, working elevators and clamps. Not for use with some Matchbox vehicles. Each set sold separately.

With a boost, crashing and fast-paced action come to Wall Tracks sets. The booster launches cars up the ramp for anti-gravity thrills. The track works with multiple cars for mid-air madness. And the poster adds a background for the adventure and action. The set and poster can be hung with the included safe-for-walls Command strips from 3M. This set gives new meaning to climbing the walls. Includes 1 car. Not for use with some Hot Wheels vehicles.
— As of 5/10/2012 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Difficult to put together; safety button makes it confusing to turn on; the car that comes with the set has difficulty going through the tracks without flipping.

Brainetics teaches how to MASTER all the vitally important learning SKILLS (focus, concentration, problem solving, thinking outside the box, organizational, increased mental capacity and memory) that are rarely taught in schools and people lack throughout their lives. Brainetics TRAINS two different parts of the MIND to work simultaneously yet independently of each other. One part memorizes information while another part is sorting and processing new information. The mind will begin to work much more efficiently and be more powerful giving Brainetics kids a huge advantage throughout their academic lives and beyond. Brainetics can either be learned alone, or entire families can learn together. Package includes 5 DVDs, Parents Manual, Playbook with practices and exercises, flash cards, and playing cards.
Awards: Parents Choice Gold Award; Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys 2012.

Welcome to the City of Light, one of the world's most romantic destinations! From the revered Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame to the majestic Eiffel Tower, from the cabaret venue of Moulin Rouge to the highbrow opera house Palais Garnier, this world-class city offers beaucoup beloved architectural landmarks. Visit a dozen sites, including the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musée d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, and more, then fold all away in an élégant slipcase. Launch date: March 2012.

The Samurai Kids are ready to travel back from China to the Cockroach Ryu, nestled in Japan's Tateyama Mountains. But then the unthinkable happens: Kyoko, one of the Cockroaches, is kidnapped. Sensei knows it is the mark of his old enemy Lu Zeng, an evil minister of the Forbidden City who is obsessed with eternal life. The Cockroaches must make a perilous journey to the Forbidden City, during which they encounter the mysterious, forest-dwelling Lin people. But Niya, the boy with one leg, has his trust tested when he learns that his best friend, Yoshi, is keeping secrets. Even worse, it seems that Sensei is not revealing all he knows either. Will all these secrets keep the Cockroaches from achieving their most important mission yet- rescuing Kyoko before Lu Zeng performs horrible experiments on her? Launch date: February 2012.

Frances was nine when she first saw the fairies. They were tiny men, dressed all in green. Nobody but Frances saw them, so her cousin Elsie painted paper fairies and took photographs of them "dancing" around Frances to make the grown-ups stop teasing. The girls promised each other they would never, ever tell that the photos weren't real. But how were Frances and Elsie supposed to know that their photographs would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And who would have dreamed that the man who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes believed ardently in fairies - and wanted very much to see one? Mary Losure presents this enthralling true story as a fanciful narrative featuring the original Cottingley fairy photos and previously unpublished drawings and images from the family's archives. Launch date: March 2012.

Meena and River have a lot in common: fathers forced to work away from home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and faithful dogs. But Meena is an Indian immigrant girl living in New York City’s Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner’s son. As Meena’s family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in their disparate experiences. With honesty and humor, Meena and River bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Launch date: February 2012.

Nick and Maxine live in a tall building with one apartment on top of another. So when they look out their window and see a little house they never knew was there, of course they must visit (especially when their parents tell them not to!). Going through the boiler room, they're amazed to find to a secret backyard with a garden, a porch, and a statue of a cat. And they're even more amazed when that cat starts to talk...Welcome to the world of Mrs. Noodlekugel, where felines converse and serve cookies and tea, vision-impaired mice join the party (but may put crumbs up their noses), and children in search of funny adventures are drawn by the warm smell of gingerbread and the promise of magical surprises. Launch date: April 2012.

Bizzy Bear is helping out at the building site, so he puts on his hard hat and gets to work. Help him drive a digger, a bulldozer, and a truck. With chunky sliders to push and pull, this robust little board book is perfect for active toddlers. Launch date: February 2012.

Monkey and Elephant are very good friends. The live in the jungle, which is sometimes very hot! So the two friends set out to find a shady spot. On the way, Monkey complains that Elephant is walking too bumpity, too ziggy and zaggy. And Elephant complains that Monkey is being too bossy and too sassy. Will these very good friends find shade before they become very bad friends? Launch date: March 2012.

Maggie wants a pony to ride and take care of, and to prepare she's been reading a big book on horse care. Meanwhile, Bramble is bored with giving riding lessons and walking in circles. She's looking for just the right person to take her away from her routine. Is it a perfect match? Maggie loves Bramble as soon as she sees her, but there are some things Bramble has to be sure of. Will Maggie let Bramble venture into new places? Will she protect Bramble from strange objects in the yard? Will she, most importantly, know when Bramble needs her undivided attention? Launch date: March 2012.

Chick and Chickie love to play in their very own way, whether scaring each other silly or tickling the letter A. As young readers eagerly turn the pages of the story, they'll look forward to spotting all the witty side jokes and hilarious details. The fast-paced and zany narrative by Claude Ponti, one of the world's most beloved children's book authors, will instantly delight early readers and will just as surely turn reading into play. Launch date: February 2012.

Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls--one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends. Full of quick-witted repartee, this brainchild of Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and award-winning author Alison McGhee is a hilarious ode to exuberance and camaraderie, imagination and adventure, brought to life through the delightfully kinetic images of Tony Fucile. Launch date: April 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Maisy has put her sun hat, pajamas, toothbrush, and camera into a bag, and she's off to the train station with Panda and Cyril. They're headed for the seashore, but getting there is only half the fun. Coloring and snacks help pass the time on the ride to the beach, where Maisy can't wait to swim, collect seashells, build sand castles, and lots more. At nighttime it feels special to go to bed in a hotel knowing that tomorrow another vacation day awaits. Launch date: April 2012.

Help Maisy and company collect shells, build a sand castle, and feast on tasty treats as they spend a day by the seaside. Launch date: April 2012.

Tuck this in an Easter basket. Maisy is making and hiding treats for a backyard hunt- and needs kids to lend a hand. Maisy's beloved sticker books - now with fresh new cover designs - are sure to keep fans busy through the holidays and highlights of the seasons. Launch date: February 2012.

Welcome to the great city of London! Are you ready for your tour? Open this inviting, large-format book and follow the river Thames as it winds through the heart of the celebrated capital. Peer inside Buckingham Palace, spin the London Eye, whisper in Saint Paul's Cathedral gallery, and raise the historic Tower Bridge. Lift the flaps, and you'll find famous faces, spooky stories, and surprising secrets. Turn the book around to look inside buildings and find out even more. Launch date: April 2012.

Old twins, new twins, famous twins, not-at-all-alike twins, side-byside twins, let's play twins, not-yet twins, mirror twins - all kinds of twins! - come together in a collection of original poems by two of our most celebrated authors for young people: J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen. From a wave and a wink to a twin switcheroo, from a rocket to the moon to the old woman who lived in a shoe, these poems and mini facts, whimsically illustrated by Sophie Blackall, will leave even singletons with a twinkle in their eyes. J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. A twin himself, he has written more than seventy children's books. Jane Yolen, not a twin herself - but with multiple sets in her family - has written or edited more than three hundred books.

Little Suhaila wishes she could have known her grandma, who would wrap her arms around the whole world if she could, Mama says. And one night, Suhaila gets her wish when a golden ladder appears at her window, and Grandma Annie invites the girl to come along with her on a magical journey. In a rich and deeply personal narrative, Maya Soetoro-Ng draws inspiration from her mother's love for family, her empathy for others, and her ethic of service to imagine this remarkable meeting. Evoking fantasy and folklore, the story touches on events that have affected people across the world in our time and reaffirms our common humanity. Yuyi Morales's breathtaking artwork illuminates the dreamlike tale, reminding us that loved ones lost are always with us, and that sometimes we need only look at the moon and remember. Launch date: March 2012.

Bold, child-friendly illustrations and die-cut pages will draw even the youngest listeners to this gentle reminder of the easy, everyday ways we can be kinder to the earth. Launch date: March 2012.

Randy Riley loves two things: science and baseball. When it comes to the solar system, the constellations, and all things robot, Randy is a genius. But on the baseball diamond? Not so much. He tries...but whiffs every time. Then, one night, Randy sees something shocking through his Space Boy telescope: it's a fireball, and it's headed right for his town! Randy does the math, summons all of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Launch date: February 2012.

In Isabella's garden, amazing things come from the tiniest of seeds as they bloom and flourish and make way for a whole new season of growth. Told with great warmth and echoing favorite nursery rhymes such as "The Green Grass Grows All Around" or "The House that Jack Built," Glenda Millard's award-winning story bursts with life. Beautifully complemented by Rebecca Cool's bright, peaceful illustrations, here is a tale that is sure to win the hearts of readers of all ages. Launch date: March 2012.

Bizzy Bear's going on vacation, but he has to take a taxi, then a train, then a plane before he arrives at the beach and can set sail on his boat. With chunky sliders to push and pull, this robust little board book is perfect for active toddlers. Illustrated by Benji Davies.