Guest author Jeanette Norman

Cell Phone Books - Recommended Ages 3 – 8 years

This book comes in either Elmo or Dora the Explorer as of this writing. We received the Dora Book. My daughter instantly loved it because it was Dora of course! The cell phone that comes with the book is really cool and will be a hit with all children. It is a working flip style phone with a number pad and an LCD screen that looks like a real oversized camera/video phone. The purpose of the cell phone is for the children to “call” characters as the story moves along in the accompanying book. In fact, the phone rings on its own, answer it, and it’s Dora. If you don’t answer, she will leave a voicemail. You can listed to it by pressing the key that has an envelope on it. The phone also takes “pictures”. You press the camera key and a light flashes on the top of the phone. This was a huge hit with my 6 ½ year old and my almost 4 year old. She got a little frustrated at first because she didn’t understand you had to push the buttons in the correct order to “call” Dora. If the child doesn’t know numbers, you will have to help them. I think the volume could have been a tad louder but I understand that this is to protect their ears. For $19.99, this book/toy combo is worth it!

Digital Music Player Book - Recommended Ages 3 – 8 years

The titles Available for this include The Wiggles, SpongeBob Squarepants, and Strawberry Shortcake. We have the Strawberry Shortcake (I still can’t believe she is making a comeback!) This book comes with a large MP3 like player. The player plays songs and the book has the words to each song in it for children to read or sing along with. The songs include the theme song to the Strawberry Shortcake song, “Where has my little cat gone?”< “Sing a Song of Sixpence”, “The Muffin Man”, “Hot Cross Buns”, and my all time favorite “Apples and Bananas” (You know the song! “I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.”) Something my 6 year old discovered while listening to the songs was a ling from the Mermaid song. We listened to it several times because it sounded like the little girl was saying , “Beautiful mermaid, take of your shorts.” She was actually saying “…please come near shore.” We thought is was quite funny.

Fold and Go Cars Book Recommended Ages 3 -6 years

Of all the toys I have been sent to test and review with my children, this has to be the only one we have ever been disappointed with the concept is cool but the materials are flimsy. We have the Tonka brand version. There are also NASCAR and Scooby Doo available. The book contains different types of vehicles (police car, fire engine, tow truck to name a few) that children are supposed to pop out of the book. You then fold the car along the scored lines to make the vehicle. The vehicles may have extra pieces for it such as lights for the top of the police car or a ladder for the fire truck. After you fold and insert in the right places, you then slide the tabs on the four sides of the paper car into the base in the proper slots. This is where this toy can be ruined if aren’t careful. If one of these tabs gets bent, it is nearly impossible to get the others in their slots. Each car has it’s own unique sound that plays when you roll it along the floor.

I would not recommend this toy for 3 or 4 year olds. A 5 year old maybe if they are patient and handle it carefully. My 6 year old son had difficulty inserting tabs to form the car. I ended up doing all the folding and forming of the cars. The thin cardboard isn’t very sturdy for play. With having the Tonka name on a toy, you have an idea of what a toy should belike. My fiancé still has his Tonka trucks that were bought for him in 1969. We were disappointed with this toy.

For more information on these and other titles by Publications International and where top purchase their products, visit. http://www.pilbooks.com