August 2009 Notable Toys — All

Mopley is a 12” curly white plush lamb with corduroy face and legs and zig-zag top stitching.

This double stroller is perfect for toting twins. It features a pink plastic frame and pink fabric.

This stroller features pink print fabric and frame. The assembled size 19" x 23" x 23" h.

 Saba is not only an adorable snail, but also a comfy pillow and super-soft blanket all in one. Perfect for road excursions or just cuddling in bed. Suishy Saba also makes a perfect baby shower gift. Launch date: 2009.

Bound to become a child's best friend, Lilly is not only an adorable ladybug, but also a comfy pillow and super-soft blanket all in one. She's perfect for road excursions or just cuddling in bed. Lilly also makes a a great baby shower gift. Launch date: 2009.

Designed for learning and fun, this electronic preschool toy harnesses the power of a computer and utilizes Interactive Voice Recognition Technology so that the on-screen Comfy characters respond to a child's voice as he or she plays the 36 educational games and activities. The multilingual product easily switches among 20 different languages. "During the past 80+ years, different versions of toy telephones have traditionally been among the top-selling preschool toys on the market," Ron Cantor, president of Comfy, Inc., told TDmonthly. "The Plug ‘n Play Phone is a preschool child's phone for the 21st century!" Two AA batteries are required (not included). Launch date: 2009.

This award-winning preschool toy / electronic learning aid is designed as an interactive experience that grows with children as they develop at their own pace. It comes with an interactive keyboard, "First Steps" beginner software, a USB cable and a parents' guide. The multilingual toy switches among 20 different languages for games and activities. Additional software is sold separately; for 2009, there are 12 software titles available. The keyboard is specially designed for small children.

Prime-8 is a fast and agile gorilla robot that does everything from play laser tag to run with your kids down hallways. He explores his own surroundings or responds to remote control. He is silly, occasionally rude, and goes crazy when disturbed in his sleep! Prime-8’s intense interactivity is powered by a battery of sensors that allow him to respond to people and to his environment. Internal sensors measure his orientation constantly, and prompt him to right himself should he fall down. Outbound sight and sound sensors help Prime-8 maneuver around obstacles, respond to questions with grunts and growls, and express himself. Finally, motion detection sensors keep Prime-8 alert so that he can chase away intruders by firing rockets!

Penbo is a lovable interactive penguin that sings, talks, dances and plays games with you and her surprise Bebe. She responds to touch and sound and communicates with her Bebe through infrared sensors. Penbo also plays five games with you and Bebe; the more you play, the happier she becomes! Penbo is an autonomous robot designed to move like a penguin and interact with you and her Bebe through an array of sensors. She is aware of her surroundings, loves to dance, plays games and talks with Bebe in Penguish, her own language. Press Penbo’s heart to reveal a surprise egg with her Bebe inside; each color Bebe interacts differently with Penbo.

Roar of the Jungle is a game designed for children to learn the concept of directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise) and decision making. Watch the excitement as the Gorillas, Hippos, Elephants, and Lions' expressions are constantly changing as you are battling to become the ruler of the jungle. Spin your way to a mighty roar while leaving the others roaring no more.

That Way is a game designed for children to learn the concept of North, South, East, and West.  The game features a colorful car that you move (by rolling the dice) through the wacky city where you encounter detours that tells you what direction you must travel. You may want to travel north to accomplish your goal of reaching downtown first, but the directional card says you must go in a different direction. This creates chaos and fun for the players as they are never sure where they’ll travel next.

The sleeves give kids a fun place to aim their coughs and sneezes at while learning the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommended habit of coughing and sneezing into your elbow or shirt sleeve and the sleeves protect their clothes or arm from getting "gunky". Package includes 25 disposable sleeves.

The sleeves give kids a fun place to aim their coughs and sneezes at while learning the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommended habit of coughing and sneezing into your elbow or shirt sleeve and the sleeves protect their clothes or arm from getting "gunky". Package includes 10 disposable sleeves.

These solar-powered, remote-controlled vehicles measure about 2.5" in length and and are powered for 30 minutes of playtime when the micro solar panel in the roof is exposed to direct sunlight. The vehicles can also be charged from the controller. Car and SUV styles are available, and the racers can pop wheelies. Launch date: August 2009.

"World of Colors" introduces children to colors through fun, interactive stories and activities where Comfyland characters go on fascinating adventures. While helping Jumpy find his lost bone, children can learn how to name colors, compare objects, and match colors to specific objects. Children learn through fun, interactive stories and activities that make play an enriching and inspiring experience. The Level 4 software was designed to help kids learn color recognition, object identification, spatial orientation, problem solving and comparison skills. Content was developed exclusively for use with the Comfy Easy PC.

This preschool toy is a safe, programmable TV remote control that children can use to find their favorite TV shows and channels quickly and easily. The iMote is designed to provide independence for kids and peace of mind for parents. A parent selects five safe TV channels that have their child's favorite TV shows, and access to all other TV channels is blocked. The iMote comes with 100+ colorful stickers, including the logos of popular TV channels (i.e., Nickelodeon, Disney, PBS, Cartoon Network)  to make it easy to customize for each child. "The iMote is the only remote control on the market that has been tested to pass all toy safety tests, so that when young children put it into their mouths there is no danger of lead poisoning; and parents don’t have to worry about their children watching programming that they may not feel is suitable for their children," Ron Cantor, president of Comfy, Inc., told TDmonthly. "Children develop a great sense of pride, confidence and self esteem in knowing that they have their own personal TV remote control that allows them to operate their TVs, just like Mom and Dad can."

Peanut is part of a line of five AniMagic pets, which are soft, lap-size animals that move their heads, necks, ears and eyes, make whimpering sounds when petted, and each make their signature baby animal noise — bark or meow, for example. Peanut barks in appreciation when given his special bone, and even wags his tail. Launch date: July 2009.

This set of four 8" melamine plates features a different robot on each against a bright, patterned background. The plates are dishwasher safe and coordinate with the company's robot juice cup and bowl set for kids.

This bright side bag is made to drape over the shoulder and across the body. It features a soft, furry exterior and shiny satin interior and straps.

This 3" designer mini speaker has a lot of attitude. Featuring artwork by Jeremiah Ketner, it hosts a built-in hi-fi amplifier, internal rechargeable battery and can play for four to eight hours. It comes with an audio cable, a USB charging cable and a keyring clip for attachment to bags or other accessories. Headphonies can work with MP3 players, portable DVD players, computers and most mobile devices. Launch date: August 2009.

Fashion-savvy Ashley wears a pair of leggings under her favorite jean mini skirt. As with all Ty Girlz, she comes with a code that allows online access to a virtual playworld. She also has a little comb to keep her locks in shape.

Look & Learn baby dolls feature contrasting colors and patterns, and sound to encourage exploration and early development. Their designed is based on research showing that next to mom and dad, babies love to look at high-contrast images like black on white patterns, especially faces. Each doll also comes on a “hang and hold” ring for play on the go. Launch date: September 1, 2009.

After rolling the special dice and flipping the timer, players race to list words containing the three letters shown on the dice. Only words listed by a single player score points, so players are rewarded for their speed and creative thinking. This game is adjustable for different skill levels and ideal for varied group sizes. Launch date: April 2009.

It's never too early to start bringing up the smartest baby in the whole world. So thinks the expectant Mrs. Brains, who reads to the baby inside her tummy every night and plays music and language tapes to her baby during the day. Soon enough, Mr. and Mrs. Brains have their very own Baby Brains. He reads the paper, fixes the family car, and works as a doctor in the local hospital. Now even the space program is calling on him. Is there anything Baby Brains can't do? Candlewick Storybook Animation packages include a full-color hardcover picture book, a dual-disk DVD/CD with full animated story and two audio read-along versions of the text — one with page-turn prompts, and a full-color poster, plus a sheet of reusable stickers. Launch date: September 2008.

TDmonthly Review:

Please click here to read TDmonthly´s Toy Expert review of this product.