August 2012 Notable Toys — All

The original doll with a heart is back. Beautifully made with fine facial features in soft brown tones and yarn hair with the classic loop style. Has the traditional embroidered "I Love You" heart on her chest and features plastic button eyes.
Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Top Toy Debut Award

A beautifully soft and realistic dog. Also comes in a smaller 8" size. Part of the Miyoni collection - plush animals made with superior materials and great attention to detail.

Aurora's newest Fancy Pal lets kids carry their plush pet backpack style. This shimmery backpack with wave like detail comes with a 7" sparkly orange clownfish.

Aurora's newest Fancy Pal lets kids carry their plush pet backpack style. This shimmery backpack with rainbow detail comes with a 7" cuddly unicorn with sparkly horn.

A pretty in pink purse with sparkly detail and accented with a pearl. Also comes with a stuffed mermaid doll to carry around.

The latest Think-ets game from Think-a-lot Toys is like having a “party-in-a-pouch”™. This edition of our award-winning Think-ets game is geared for adults, teens and college kids who want their own, slightly more sophisticated version of the game. Get silly with stories, throw objects into glasses, or try to come up with categories, rhymes and names in speedy fashion. For 1 or more players. Includes 15 miniature trinkets from around the world and an instruction Booklet with 10 different games to play.

Power up the remote and make this Ladybug Scooper scoot around the floor collecting Orbeez into it's shell. The Ladybug Scooper blinks, lights up and makes chirping sounds as it moves around cleaning up. Kids can also push the Ladybug Scooper manually to collect all of the Orbeez. After the press of a button, the Ladybug Scooper will dispense the Orbeez to start the fun all over again.

Lights. Movement. Magic. Orbeez are soft and squishy, wet and wacky, fun and funky, bouncy and beautiful. They start off hard and tiny. Add water and they grow to more than 150 times their original size. Create a one-of-a-kind night light with translucent petals, swirling Orbeez and color-changing LEDs. Turn out the room lights and watch the Orbeez project a stunning, moving light show on the ceiling. Batteries not included.

Fusing water play with transformation, Color Splasherz allows girls to creatively change the color of their jewelry using hot and cold water. Dip or splash the beads in the water to create custom designs. Use ice to create even more cool designs. The Color Splasherz Design Station allows kids to spin and splash their Color Splasherz jewelry, instantly changing their color and style from one stunning transformation to the next. The color change will hold until kids alter the temperature. The lid of the Design Station opens up to act as a display stand.
— As of 08/29/2012 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on Amazon.com.

Leonardo da Vinci improved upon the already-established catapult design when he introduced his own vision the the age-old military launching device. This design uses a double leaf spring to produce a great deal of energy in order to propel stone projectiles or flammable materials over large distances. A hand crank on the side of the catapult was used to load the spring. The scientific genius of Leonardo da Vinci is brought to life through these 10 articulated models. The inventions that inspired these snap-together replicas are taken from the pages of Da Vinci’s priceless and awe-inspiring notebooks. All models are made of plastic and require no special tools. Manuals are very educational and teach how these inventions have evolved into what they are today.
— Priscilla Moore, owner of Mr. Fub’s Party/Toys and More in Yellow Springs, Oh., told TDmonthly in a late Summer 2012 survey that this catapult is one of their best selling Science toys.

Una Verse has a body filled with floating glitter in water. She has white hair with blue streaks and glitter eyes with planet icon, spiral antennas and glitter eyelashes. Includes pet and a glow-in-the dark doll stand, and the package handle becomes an antenna headband.

Head for the sunny skies of Heartlake City with Stephanie's seaplane. Soar the sunny Heartlake skies with Stephanie. Find sky-high adventure at the Heartlake Flying Club where she takes flying lessons. Now that she has some experience, Stephanie can even fly all by herself. With a map to find her way around and a life preserver for safety, Stephanie can practice piloting her very own seaplane and earn her diploma. Includes Stephanie mini-doll figure. Features a waterside hut and pier.  Accessories include a map, diploma, pink life preserver brick, bird, crab and telescope.
— John Taylor, owner of O.P. Taylor in Brevard, N.C., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that LEGO toys are consistent best sellers in his store.

The Laugh and Learn Click 'n Learn Remote is baby's very own remote with so many buttons, songs and learning fun. With realistic styling and a light at the top of the remote, baby will delight in being in control of all the sounds and music. Baby can click away to learn about numbers, opposites, colors, greetings and first words. Turn the volume up and down or switch channels to hear a new station. With four songs and lots of realistic sound effects, baby will love being in control of their very own learning remote.

Lloyd ZX is the legendary green ninja, destined to win the great battle between good and evil and bring peace once again to the land of Ninjago. But before he can fulfil his destiny, his fellow ninjas must help him master the art of Spinjitzu and defeat the evil Serpentine snake tribes. Use the 4 battle cards included to influence the outcome. Set includes minifigure, gold spinner, green crown, LEGO bricks, golden weapon, 2 regular weapons, character card and 4 battle cards.

The Robecca Steam doll has a signature style with lots of scary cool details and an ancient monster heritage. Her internal clock runs a bit slow, but she makes up for it with a steampunk style that suits her metallic glow. She wears a dress that showcases her seams and comes with her pet mechanical penguin and diary.
— As of 8/27/2012, this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 15 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of details; unique design.

The Venus McFlytrap doll has a signature style with lots of scary cool details and an ancient monster heritage. Venus McFlytrap grows for a London punk style made more unique with her perennial green hue and vine details. She has been known to use her pollen powers of persuasion to get the other monsters to volunteer for ecological causes. She comes with her pet, a Venus Flytrap (of course.), and diary.
— As of 8/27/2012, this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of accessories; has eco-friendly message. Cons: One reviewer said that the doll is fragile and the legs snapped off.

These race cars can be used with other SmartMax race track sets. SmartMax is the magnetic discovery concept that allows children, even from a very early age, to experience both the wonders of magnetism and the fascinating world of construction in a safe way. The extra-large pieces make it easy for small children to manipulate them. The magnets have the ideal strength for easy assembly and breakdown of constructions. SmartMax is carefully designed to meet and exceed the world’s toughest safety requirements, including giant-sized, non-swallowable 1.8” diameter metal balls and inaccessible magnets encased in specially sonic-welded bars.

This puzzle game is different on all levels. For starters, a challenge consists of showing the solution (the color of all the balls on the playing board). But which balls are connected and how? Not only do players' brains have to be flexed to find the solution - they can bend all the puzzle pieces so they click into a new position.

Begin a quest to settle the island of Catan. Guide brave settlers to victory by using clever trading and shrewd development. Use resources—grain, wool, ore, lumber, and brick—to build roads, settlements, cities and key cultural milestones. Get resources by rolling the dice or by trading with other players. Catan is a modern classic. It truly redefines social board games and been awarded with “Game of the Year” honors in Germany, the United States, and a host of other countries. This New edition features a six piece reversible board allowing for more replay value than the previous Gallery Edition. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Uncover a murder most foul by revealing six story elements that together describe the deadly deed and spell the word MURDER. But take care that opponents can't do the same. Take their letters, counter their actions, or call on a waiting Crow to influence the murder before they do. At any moment a well-played card can shift the balance and seal someone's fate. Murder of Crows is a fast-paced card game for 2 to 5 players that's quick to learn and features atmopheric art by Dungeoneer illustrator Thomas Denmark. A game typically lasts 15 to 20 minutes, and is designed for ages 13 and up. Launch date: August 2012.

This easy-to-use spiral-bound book includes reproducible pages of questions for students, a complete answer guide, and interpretive activities for each of the 32 styles presented from prehistoric art to the present. The book is designed to correlate with Crystal's DVD series Learn Art Styles with Lisa, as well as the Art Styles Posters and Display Cards, but can also be used as a standalone resource as well as with books and the internet as other sources of information.

Just imagine all of nature—mountains, prairies, oceans, and all—lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt. Take flora and fauna in their unique habitats, fold them up and you have a book, this book. Earth’s major habitats are spread before you, ready to be examined. Here in this beautiful package are revealed the key concepts of natural science. This patchwork quilt of nature covers the whole Earth to learn about, to enjoy, to care for, and to love.