July 2009 Notable Toys — Plush

Groovy Girls can travel in style with their own plush horse.

This soft, huggable giraffe features a pastel palette with patchwork accents on its body and the bottom of its feet.

This 6" plush castle with a front door that opens from the top includes prince and princess finger puppets as well as a dragon and a white unicorn with sound effects.

This pink and white dress-up set for Pawparazzi celebrity dogs or cats includes a robe, two slippers, tote, towel and eye mask. Launch date: September 2008.

Cute and cuddly stuff animals with therapeutic benefits. The unique twisted nubby’s for the hands and feet are great for tactile stimulation and a safe alternative to teethers. Zebra Buddy features black stripes and extra tactile nubby's for its mane. Made of an Ultra soft blend of bamboo and organic cotton.

Cute and cuddly stuff animals with therapeutic benefits. The unique twisted nubby’s for the hands and feet are great for tactile stimulation and a safe alternative to teethers. Lion Buddy features a bright, orange mane around its head. Made of an Ultra soft blend of bamboo and organic cotton.

Filled with millet or sand for a realistic real, this colorful pastel dragon features a covering of stretchy fabric with a bit of sparkle. It is made in the USA.
— Rainbow Creatures’ dragons and mermaids are top sellers at Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., Owner Shana Hack told TDmonthly in early summer 2009.

These three animals, an ox, elephant and hippo, have embedded magnets that allow kids to mix and match their head and tail components. Each measures about 5" L x 3" D.

This jolly, plush Santa Claus is 9" tall and features a white beard along with red and green fabrics of varying design. Launch date: June 2009.

This 9" reindeer boasts an array of red and green against striped and floral fabrics. He has plush antlers and spearmint green piping for an extra bit of detail. Launch date: June 2009.

This line of plush donkeys is stubbornly cute. Tomato comes in various sizes, but this one is 45 cm long.

This 5-7" plush doll represents the Influenza A virus H1N1 in an oblong pink shape covered with pink fur and adorned with big red eyes and a pig snout. It is part of a line of educational stuffed "animals" that look like mini microbes. The GIANTmicrobes series turns creepy crawly microscopic organisms into irresistible stuffed toys. Launch date: June 2009.
— Online Reviews: Minnesota Mamas’ Sarah found GiantMicrobes “a fun way to teach your kids about germs and how to stay healthy as well as why they are ill.” The Mom Buzz thought the plush can help kids develop healthy habits, like washing their hands, as well as alleviating fear of medical procedures.

An L.A.-based mom designer created this supersoft plush elephant ... plus some more animal friends.

This 10" tall (25 cm) stuffed Meerkat is alert and super-soft.

Baby’s first prehistoric plush pal! This extremely soft, loveable baby dinosaur was designed especially for infants. Its embroidered details, soft blue color, orange spikes, and smiling face make this a toy that children of any age will cherish.

Jane Yolen and Mark Teague's remarkable series is a delight for children and adults. The books are a warm and no-nonsense way of helping kids manage the important things in their lives—going to bed, eating their food, coping with being sick, and going to school. By using humor and showing what a dinosaur would and wouldn’t do, the books make things easy to understand for even the smallest child. Dolls come in 14" ($16.00) and  8" ($9.00) sizes.

Kids can slip their hand through the opening of this soft, slinky ferret puppet's chest to work his mouth. There's an additional rear pocket for extra wriggling. Launch date: August 4, 2009.
Awards: A TDmonthly Classics Award for being an all-time favorite toy.
— As of 7/21/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 4 review on Amazon.com.
— In late Spring 2011, eight out of 15 retailers surveyed said that puppets from Folkmanis were best-sellers in the category. "They have all kinds, and people can get odd things, like a ferret," Lisa LeStrange, owner of Lucky Duck Toys in Wayne, Pa., told TDmonthly. She sells 10-15 Folkmanis puppets each month.

My SportBEAR line-up features handmade 15" jointed bears dressed in authentic sport apparel and accessories. ChalkTalkSPORTS offers add-ons that can make this special gift ideal for players, coaches and fans. Customization is also available. "With millions of childrens and their parents involved in organized sports, the My SportBEAR line is a perfect gift to celebrate the sport they love and are dedicated to," the marketing director for ChalkTalkSPORTS told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 20, 2008.

Nelly Dragon is a 10" plush educational pal. She includes 1/2 life-size dentition with four flossible locations, bendable extremities to hold toothbrushes. The product includes two children's toothbrushes and one plush toothbrush, designed to serve as a great way to teach the proper way to bruch and floss. Launch date: 2009.

Featuring Lauren Fisher Cat, Penny Petite Bear, Willow Cottontail Rabbit and Nibbles Norwood Mouse, each Critter comes with removable clothing and can easily be placed in a sitting position. The plush Critters are approximately 8” tall. "The Calico Critters plush dolls are unique additions to a popular product line that formerly only featured miniature characters. This loveable, hugable, Calico Critter character provides children with a cuddly version of the characters they've already come to know," Vickie Cullen, account executive for International Playthings LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Pilloroo Pillows have a hidden pouch for hiding away a toy or gift item. The pillow is stuffed so the item cannot be felt from the outside. This product is made in the USA and received a 2008 Moms Best Award. Launch date: November 2008.

My Pillow Pets are snuggly plush companions that are also a comfortable pillow for bedtime, television time or travel time. There are more than 20 styles, all made from soft, high-quality chenille and safety tested.The Original Pillow Pets come in both 11" and 18" sizes. "My Pillow Pets are the Original pillow pets. The overall design, special facial features, and highest quality chenille make them ideal for the specialty and gift market," Heidi Niehart, director of marketing for My Pillow Pets, told TDmonthly. This product has received the following awards: iParenting Media Excellent Product Award, Dr. Toy Best Vacation Toy, and Mr. Dad Seal of Approval. Launch date: 2003.

Each LovBun & Friends plush character features a poem on the hangtag: "Meet LovBun, the love bunny who comes from outer space! They live on hugs so remember to give them lots of hugs each day!" Launch date: August 15, 2009.

This 12" duck is filled with 100-percent natural wheat and dried lavender, and after two minutes in the microwave is a warm buddy to take to bed. He will stay warm for at least an hour, and may remain warm all night if snuggled under the covers. The duck can be microwaved thousands of times, CEO Ruth Hamilton of Pritty Imports told TDmonthly, and his aroma is designed to help kids fall asleep naturally. Launch date: June 2009.