Industry Leader Names Most Positive Toys of the Year

Los Angeles, CA, August 27, 2008 --(PR.com)-- TDmonthly Magazine Honors 44 Winners in Second Annual Awards Program.

TDmonthly Magazine is pleased to announce the 44 winners of its 2008 toy awards, including two prototype recipients of TDmonthly’s new In the Lab award. From shape-shifting games and toys that go “under construction” with surprising designs and materials, to favorites that can’t be forgotten, the awardees collectively capture a spirit of innovation and classic appeal.

Winners were independently nominated and did not pay a fee to enter the competition. They were selected based on a number of criteria, including product quality, safety and design; play value; appeal to children and parents; review by experts, consumers and TDmonthly staff in-house and at industry trade shows (e.g., American International Toy Fair); positive effect on children and society; and success within the specialty market, or the potential to perform well in specialty stores.

“The quality, educational value and ‘fun’ factor inherent in these products demonstrate what the specialty toy market is all about,” said TDmonthly Publisher Bob Naimi. “Our awards program is one way we’re helping toy-store owners and parents identify safe and constructive toys for today’s children.”

Because TDmonthly is a trade magazine devoted to identifying new trends in the specialty toy industry, its staff is uniquely qualified to recognize toys of superior value. Of the nearly four dozen winners, 43 percent are safety tested at least once per year, 36 percent feature recycled materials in their composition, and 18 percent are made, at least partially, in the United States.*

TDmonthly takes toys seriously, and believes that great toys that inspire creativity, caring and intelligence will one day help to shape a better world.

See a list of the award-winning products below:

TDmonthly Top Toy 2008

Baby Deglingos by All New Materials
Sixteen by Alpine Games
Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.
Brain Noodles by Brain Noodles
Soft Play Dragons by Bullyland Toys
Inversé™ by Family Games, Inc.
WebWilds by Folkmanis, Inc.
Handstand Kids Mexican Cookbook by Handstand Kids
"Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach" by Kids Can Press
Puzzibits™ Flexible 3D Puzzle Art™ by Manhattan Toy
Xeko Mission: Indonesia by Matter Group LLC
ZipBin® Softie™ Wheelie™ by Neat-Oh! International LLC
ScienceWiz DNA by Norman & Globus
Pawparazzi by Noodlehead, Inc.
Food Chain Friends by Pint Size Productions
PlayMais by PlayMaisUSA LLC
Press ‘n Dress Dolls by Pockets of Learning
Potty Monkey by PottyMD
Stack & Stick by Stack & Stick
4th Corner by Strategic Space, Inc.
Chocolate Fix by ThinkFun
Scavenger Series Kits by Überstix
Chimalong XR by Woodstock Chimes

TDmonthly Top Seller 2008

MACK Granite Rear Loading Garbage Truck by Bruder Toys America, Inc.
Calin Cheerful Pink by Corolle Dolls
Ultra Stomp Rocket by D&L Company
Blokus Trigon by Educational Insights, Inc.
Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box by The Orb Factory
Zingo! by ThinkFun

TDmonthly Innovations 2008

Beyond Chess by Beyond Chess
GIANTmicrobes Petri Dishes by GIANTmicrobes
HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creature by Innovation First, Inc.
Flibbix by Merillian
Prehistoric Puppets by Puppetoys, Inc.
Teething Bling by Smart Mom LLC
FunFlyStick by Toys i.e. LLC

TDmonthly Classic 2008

Abalone by Foxmind Games
Kapla Planks by Kapla
Groovy Girls by Manhattan Toy
Cynthia Jabar Woodkins by Pamela Drake Inc.
Original Slinky by Poof-Slinky
Quiddler by SET Enterprises

TDmonthly In the Lab 2008

Twig by Fat Brain Toy Co.
Mini Voxal by Voxal LLC

The awards announcements may also be viewed online at www.tdmonthly.com.

*Percentages are based on information provided by manufacturers at time of submission.

About ToyDirectory.com® and TDmonthly ™ Magazine
For 12 years, ToyDirectory.com has been connecting retailers and manufacturers within the specialty toy industry. As of May 2008, Google™ ranks ToyDirectory.com the No. 1 site in the world for wholesale trade directories. TDmonthly Magazine, an online trade publication for the toy, hobby, gift and game industries with more than 27,800 registered retailers, is dedicated to being the most comprehensive monthly resource for the toy industry through trend reporting, news, reviews, trade show coverage and a searchable database of 17,000+ products in more than 100 categories, plus more than 1,000 video demonstrations of toys and games.

ToyDirectory.com® and TDmonthly™ Magazine
Contact: Alison Marek, Managing Editor
12340 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 226
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 979-4330
Fax: (310) 979-4350
E-mail: alison@toydirectory.com
www.tdmonthly.com
www.toydirectory.com

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