Greg Walsh of Walsh PR contacted me in November about reviewing some of his clients’ products for my holiday gift guides. One of the choices was a line of plush animals called “Deglingos“. I took one look at the website and knew I just had to see one of these funny, odd looking toys for myself and replied back to Greg that I would love to review something from the line.  Soon a package arrived, and when I saw what was inside, I fell madly in love.

Say hello to Pikos the Hedgehog, in Baby, Rattle, and Original size (left to right in the photo). Are they not the cutest things?!? Pikos is one of the Deglingos animals, an artist-designed French plush toy line, made with 50 different types of fabric and thread. They are soft and yet have so many different textures, they keep babies, toddlers, even big kids fascinated.

The name comes from the French word “deglingue”, which roughly translates to “crazy” or “wacky”. Each animal in the Deglingos line is just a little wackier looking than the animal it’s based on, and if you look at the Deglingos website, each has it’s own wacky personality, too. They come in five different sizes, including the ones I got-I especially like the “Baby” ones, which have a lower body that isn’t stuffed like a regular stuffed animal, it’s more like a thick blanket. And the “Rattle” ones are just that, curved to fit right in a young one’s hand, with a soft rattle sound when shaken.

To find a retailer that sells Deglingos, go to AllNewMaterials.com, click Buy at the top of the page, and you can find a store or online retailer where you can purchase your own Deglingos.  I bet you fall in love with yours too!

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For this month’s Team Mom review, we received the Parents Look-At-Me Camera, one of the high quality, educational toys brought to you by the creators of Parents magazine and sold exclusively at Target.  My daughter watches my husband and I take photos almost every day, so she was thrilled to get her hands on this pint-size camera.  It might not take real photos, but it has a realistic shutter clicking sound, plus a fun disco soundtrack to make your child feel like they are in charge of their own photo shoot!

According to the Target site, this toy is available in stores only, not online, and it’s only $9.99! It says for ages 12 months and up, but my three year old is sure enjoying hers. Pick one up and tuck it away for an upcoming birthday gift!

Thanks again to Child’s Play PR/Team Mom for this review opportunity!

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Back in July I reviewed the multiple-award winning book Nana Star, and the accompanying plush doll. Shortly thereafter, I received the follow up book, Nana Star and the Moonman, and the Moonman Lovey plush toy.

This book picks up right where the first book left off, with Nana Star promising to help Baby Star find his way home. When they start out, it’s sunny and bright, but soon it gets dark and Nana Star feels alone and afraid. The Man in the Moon rises, providing a gentle light. Moonman points Nana Star and Baby Star in the right direction and assures them that he will watch over them throughout the evening. The Nana Star stories were written by two sisters and illustrated by their mother (the real Nana Star). Nana Star and the Moonman helps children understand feelings like being afraid of the dark and feeling lonely. The book also comes with a CD that contains a read-along version of the story plus the original Moonman song.  You can purchase it from www.nanastar.com, on Amazon.com, and at bookstores.

The Moonman Lovey is a sweet plush accompaniment to the book. He’s got a moon-shaped yellow head with closed eyes and a cute smile, and a super-cuddly soft body. In the back under a velcro flap is a battery pack, turn it to on and a press of Moonman’s tummy makes his head glow and starts a 16 second “luvaby” of the Moonman theme. In the interest of being honest, I have to say that there are two things about Moonman that I don’t love-one, the switch that activates the glow and the music is really tiny and right in the middle of a star on Moonman’s chest, it can be hard to find. Also, the music is kind of loud and there’s no volume control. That doesn’t stop Kaitlyn from loving her Moonman and wanting him to be part of the menagerie of stuffed toys that sleep with her in bed every night! I tried to get a photo of his head glowing, but with the flash it’s hard to see and without the flash, it was a black photo with an orange glow. This was the best one:

Thanks again to Nana Star and Kidstuff PR for sending us this adorable book and toy!

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E-tailer Oompa Toys knew it had something very special when it introduced American families to the Cheekeyes — adorable and durable toys made from eco-friendly rubberwood. Now testers at the 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio have bestowed Cheekeyes its prestigious Platinum Award for one of this year’s best preschool toys. Cheekeyes can only be found in the United States at online toy store www.oompa.com.

Handmade and partially painted, each of the Cheekeyes is unique; there are no two the same. From the hands of Dutch designer Rogier van Zijp emerged Arctic, African, Forest and Farm animal sets plus Dinosaurs. Animals sport a distinctive red cheek and painted eye (reflected in their name, Cheekeyes) that will endear them to children and caregivers alike. What started out as a concept for a toy company now has become an independent, new and refreshing line of wooden, artistic toys.

I got to see for myself just how adorable Cheekeyes are when I received a Cheekeyes Wooden Farm Animal Set courtesy of Oompa Toys and Kidstuff PR. The set includes a sheep, a pig, a goat, a cow anda  horse, all done in smooth hardwood.  I think it’s interesting that just the edges of the animals are painted, and each animal has the signature curved eye and rosy red cheek. They also sent me the Wooden Farm Trees Set, which provide a cute backdrop to the animals and have been used by Kaitlyn with her other wooden block sets as well.

The Farm Animal Set is, unfortunately, sold out on Oompa Toys, but you can leave your email address and they will email you when it’s in stock. Other Cheekeyes sets in stock include the Arctic Animals and Forest Animals sets. You can find them under the “Wooden Figures” category on the site. If you’re looking for a good quality toy to give as a gift, Cheekeyes Animals would make a great choice!

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Are you looking for  truly unique toys that are fun to play with, will challenge your child’s thinking, stimulate their imagination, and provide hours of play?  I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ken Kahn, founder of Oh! Toys, and I am just thrilled to be telling you about some of the wonderful toys he sells on his site.

It started when Ken purchased a Cuboro marble run toy at a museum gift shop. It was such a hit with the recipient that he asked the museum shop where he could purchase more of them, and was surprised to be told that the toy, which was manufactured in Switzerland, was not widely available in the U.S.  From that, Ken started Oh! Toys and stocked it with toys that are popular in countries like Germany, Austria, and Japan, but aren’t widely distributed here.

Ken generously sent me some of the new, exciting products from European toy makers that he found this year, and he’s not kidding when he says these are high quality toys, and not like anything else you find even in educational toy stores. From Cuboro, the Swiss toy maker who made the marble run that got him started, Ken sent the new Cugolino marble run.  It comes with 37 pieces and 3 marbles, and the pieces can be used with other Cuboro marble sets.  The ramps, half-height blocks and colored blocks make this unique and allow for an even greater variety of set-ups. Kaitlyn could hardly wait for me to build something so she could get down to the business of dropping the marbles! Ken calls this a “heritage toy”, meaning the investment you make in it will pay off as you pass this toy on to other children for years to come. It’s listed at $139.00.

Tsumiki Construction Blocks from Japan are definitely not the typical “box of blocks”.  In addition to rectangles, triangles, and cylinders, the set also includes half circles, and cylinders with notches in the top so the pieces fit together better. I don’t have a photo of Kaitlyn playing with these, here’s an image from the site which will show you just how unique the shapes are of these blocks. The set comes with 60 pieces.

Right now, Ken has an AMAZING deal for these wonderful blocks. The regular price is $99, but you can get them on sale for only $59.00. These award-winning blocks would make a wonderful gift!

I am just crazy for Ruck + Zuck, the adorable wooden clowns who love to spin colorful “plates” and have their own car. Quoting from the site:
” Ruck + Zuck are two lovable characters in the Kellner Stick Figure family. Like all Kellner creations, Ruck + Zuck are whatever you make them to be. This award-winning toy system lets you take over and create characters and scenes that are only limited by your imagination. Pieces are child-safe wood, fabric and plastic. 48 pieces, plus 40 Jummi (joiner) pieces.

For over eighty years, Kellner Steckfiguren toys have entertained children and families in Europe. Combining amusing and cleverly designed beechwood, plastic and cloth pieces, this classic system truly puts the child (or grown-up) in charge of where the play and creativity go. There are deliberately no instructions or restrictions placed on your imagination. Playful discovery is the name of the game with these toys. Winner of The Thuringer Design Prize in 2001, the German Design Prize for Toys in 2001, and the RedDot Award in 2002″

I had a lot of fun playing with..I mean helping Kaitlyn play with Ruck + Zuck. Although there are no instructions, I used the picture that came inside the box to get an idea of how to make the clown bodies. You can also join their arms so that one clown is swinging the other over his head. And it comes with a piece of twine and these sticks with rollers on the end so you can make a sort of zip line for them to slide down. I’d love to get the whole set so we could have an entire circus!  The set comes with 48 wood, fabric, and plastic pieces, plus 40 joiner pieces. Because there are small pieces in this set, it is NOT for young children, and I’d recommend closely supervising play even at 3 or 4, just to be sure they don’t put one of the round pieces in their mouth.  The cost is $49.00 and again, this is a toy you will have for years.

The last product I want to mention is the Spinning Tops. Such a simple toy, yet popular for generations. Kids of all ages are fascinated by getting a top to spin just right. And Oh! Toys carries tops I’ve never seen before, in shapes that are far different from the typical tops. They would make terrific stocking stuffers, at prices starting at just $6.00.  It’s not often that I get to correspond with the owner of a toy website, let alone speak to them in person, and I am so glad I got that chance with Ken.  Please visit Oh! Toys when you have a minute and browse the selection of wonderful, unique, internationally popular toys he carries. You are sure to find something for the perfect gift!

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