Table of contents
March 2010 volume 5, no. 4
features
departments
on this page
24 Keeping it real with board games
4 observations & opinions
(left to right): Hasbro Games’ Scrabble Flash, Fundex’s Barbie Puzzle Pizzazz, Buddy from The Jim Henson Company’s Dinosaur Train, and Random House’s Little Golden Books Triceratops for Lunch
by Chris Adams
28 board games: Product Presentation by Chris Adams
30 Putting it All Together by Paul Narula
31 Puzzles: Product Presentation by Paul Narula
32 A new Kind of storytelling by Laurie Leahey
34 children’s books: Product Presentation by Laurie Leahey
36 Specialty Emporium: Product Presentation by Paul Narula
6 sizzlers 8 specialty sizzlers 10 The Ticker 12 All Access 14 entertainment Marketplace: Dinosaur Train 16 Merchandise Makers: Alex 18 industry Forum: TIA 20 industry Forum: ASTRA 22 industry Forum: Design Edge 38 calendar of events
on the cover (clockwise from upper left): Fundex’s Inch Worms, I Can Do That! Games’ Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat—What’s in the Hat? Game, Wild Planet’s Crayola Guess My Picture Game, LEGO’s Minotaurus, Bananagrams’ Oh-Spell!, and Mattel Games’ Bezzerwizzer cover by
Design eDge
OBSERVATIONS & OPINIONS
WWW.ANBMEDIA.COM
Toy Fair’s Happy Recap BY
BOB GLASER
ast month’s American International Toy Fair was a success. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to write that sentence. The Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) annual trade show held in New York City began with the 10th Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The TOTY Awards present the perfect opportunity to connect with industry colleagues. The highlight of this year’s celebration was the induction of two industry icons into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Walmart founder Sam Walton and chief creative officer for Disney/Pixar John Lasseter. The acceptance speech given by Lasseter was truly remarkable. He very eloquently explained how magical toys can be and what a lasting impact they can have on children. His love and passion for toys led him to create one of the all-time great movie franchises: Toy Story. A great TOTY evening was surpassed by the next four days of toy business. The momentum of Toy Fair began on the first morning of the show and continued well into its final hours days later. All exhibitors I spoke with over the four days of the show were very satisfied with the amount of consistent traffic and the desire of attendees to write orders. One of the complaints about recent Toy Fairs has been that the show became a specialty-only show. Several exhibitors told me that this year’s show was different. The specialty store owners were certainly placing orders. Yet exhibitors told me they were visited by several of the leading mass market brick-and-mortar buyers as well as the same outlets’ dot-com buyers. Manufacturers once again presented buyers with many great new toys as well as solid line extensions. This should be a good year for licensed toys. Several blockbuster movies are slated for release this year that will feature great toy play. The leader this year is certainly Toy Story 3 and it is one that I am looking forward to seeing. I spoke with TIA president Carter Keithley during the TOTY awards. He remarked to me how there seemed to be a buzz of optimism that evening in the room. I certainly agreed with him. That optimism carried over into the next four days of Toy Fair. Can it be that the darkest days are behind us? Judging by this year’s Toy Fair, that just might be the case.
L
CORRECTION: In the February issue of Toys & Family Entertainment, the company FAN STAMP was mistakenly labeled as if it were a product from JAZWARES. These are two separate companies and not related in any way. FAN STAMP (product shown on the left) comes with easy-to-apply designs and logos that transfer onto the skin. The designs can be wiped away, but are sweat- and water-resistant. JAZWARES has an extensive line including products for the upcoming ATeam movie from Fox. Jazwares is the master toy licensee and will offer action figures, vehicles, electronics, and much more. The company is developing a consumer electronics line for Skelanimals. Jazwares was also recently named master toy licensee for Cartoon’s Network’s Robot Chicken. We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
4 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
PUBLISHED
BY ANB
MEDIA • Volume 5, Number 4
PUBLISHER BOB GLASER BOB@ANBMEDIA.COM ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ANDY KRINNER ANDY@ANBMEDIA.COM ADVERTISING MANAGER AMY LAND AMY@ANBMEDIA.COM CONTROLLER MARY GROGAN MARY@ANBMEDIA.COM EDITOR IN CHIEF JIM SILVER JIM@ANBMEDIA.COM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR NANCY LOMBARDI NANCY@ANBMEDIA.COM MANAGING EDITOR CHRIS ADAMS CHRISA@ANBMEDIA.COM EDITOR AT LARGE CHRISTOPHER BYRNE CHRISB@ANBMEDIA.COM ASSISTANT EDITORS LAURIE LEAHEY; LAURIE@ANBMEDIA.COM PAUL NARULA; PAUL@ANBMEDIA.COM WEB MASTER ERIK KIECKHAFER ERIK@ANBMEDIA.COM WEB CONTENT MANAGER BRENDAN SANABRIA BRENDAN@ANBMEDIA.COM CONTRIBUTORS ADRIENNE APPELL; KATHLEEN MCHUGH; MATT NUCCIO, MATT@DESIGNEDGE.NET PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE JOSSLYNNE WELCH LITZKY PUBLIC RELATIONS, 320 SINATRA DRIVE, HOBOKEN, N.J. 07030 (201) 222–9118 EXT. 13 • JWELCH@LITZKYPR.COM INTERESTED IN A SUBSCRIPTION? CONTACT SUBSCRIPTIONS@ANBMEDIA.COM ANB MEDIA, INC. 229 WEST 28TH STREET, SUITE 401, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10001 PHONE: (646) 763–8710 • FAX: (646) 763–8727 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT and SPECIALTY EMPORIUM are published monthly by aNb
Media, Inc. Copyright 2010 aNb Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. TOYS & FAMILY
ENTERTAINMENT and SPECIALTY EMPORIUM are registered trademarks of aNb Media, Inc.
Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of management.
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SIZZLERS
Sizzlers: What’s Moving Off Store Shelves? What Are the Hottest Web Orders? Here is an alphabetical listing of the hottest-selling items in the toy industry, based on a combined survey of both offline and online retailers, reflecting the previous month’s sales.
Mindflex
WWE FlexForce Rey Mysterio Figure LEGO Star Wars WWE FlexForce Undertaker Figure
BAKUGAN BOOSTER PACKS Spin Master BLOKUS Mattel BOP IT Hasbro CHUCK MY TALKING TRUCK Hasbro
6 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
LEGO STAR WARS ASSORTMENT LEGO MIGHTY BEANZ Spin Master MINDFLEX Mattel SCRABBLE SLAM Hasbro
SCRIBBLE & WRITE LeapFrog STAR WARS FIGURE ASSORTMENT Hasbro WWE FLEXFORCE FIGURE ASSORTMENT Mattel ZHU ZHU PETS & ACCESSORIES Cepia
SPECIALTY SIZZLERS
Specialty Sizzlers: What’s Moving Off Store Shelves in the Specialty Market? This is an alphabetical listing of the hottest-selling items in the specialty segment of the toy industry, based on a survey of independent toy and gift retailers, reflecting the previous month’s sales.
BANANAGRAMS Bananagrams BAND IN A BOX Melissa & Doug FUN STYLE HAIR ACCESSORIES Creativity for Kids GROCERY CART Melissa & Doug Fun Style Hair Accessories
Bananagrams
HEXBUG Innovation First MAGNA-TILES Valtech MY FIRST PURSE IN PURPLE International Playthings QWIRKLE MindWare SET GAME ASSORTMENT SET Enterprises TWILIGHT L ADYBUG Cloud B
Twilight Ladybug
8 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
SET The Family Game of Visual Perception
The TICKeR
A Recap of Industry Headlines Visit www.aNbMedia.com for More Toy IndusTry AssocIATIon Announces ToTy AwArd wInners More than 400 executives from across the toy industry gathered to honor their peers at the tenth annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards program and Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The annual gala paid tribute to the best in toys and children’s entertainment; outstanding achievements by individuals, teams, and companies; and the creativity and playful spirit upon which the toy industry is based. Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia LLC was named as the overall Toy of the Year winner and captured the Girl Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year category awards. Additional winners include: Crayon Town by Wild Planet (Activity Toy of the Year), Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid by Spin Master (Boy Toy of the Year), Mindstorms NXT 2.0 by LEGO Systems (Educational Toy of the Year), Rubik’s TouchCube by Techno Source (Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year), Sort It Out! by University Games (Game of the Year), Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia (Girl Toy of the Year), Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song by Crayola LLC (Infant Toy of the Year), My 1st Scooter by Radio Flyer (Outdoor Toy of the Year), Bakugan by Cartoon Network (Property of the Year), and Captain Owen’s Dolphin Explorer Boat by Sprig Toys (Specialty Toy of the Year). There was a tie for Preschool Toy of the Year, with Tonka Chuck & Friends Chuck My Talking Truck by Playskool and Bilibo by Active People sharing the honors.
PArenTs MAgAzIne TeAMs wITh MAnhATTAn Toy Parents magazine (circulation 2.2 million) announced during Toy Fair that it is teaming with Manhattan Toy to develop a new line of contemporary products for children. The new Parents line of toys is expected to debut at the ABC Kids Expo this October. The line will launch with a collection of developmental toys for preschoolers. The toys will be designed to encourage musical interests, stimulate imaginations, and inspire roleplay. Additional preschool toys will be added to the Parents line in January 2011, with infant products added in July 2011. The toys will be available for sale at specialty toy and gift retailers.
sPIn MAsTer And TITMouse To co-develoP The sPecIAl offers Spin Master Entertainment and Titmouse, Inc., announced a new partnership to co-develop and produce a new tween-targeted animated musical television series called The Special Offers. The show was created by Titmouse’s Keith Fay and features the music of Fay and Gina Schock, best known as the drummer for the Go-Go’s. Spin Master Entertainment’s Matt Wexler and Jennifer Picherack and Titmouse’s Keith Fay and Shannon Prynoski will serve as executive producers of the television series. Spin Master and Titmouse will partner to take the show to market with Spin Master serving as the global merchandising, licensing agent, and toy maker for the brand, with Titmouse Entertainment creating the animated musical series and holding the global music rights.
unITed MedIA To develoP goodnIghT Moon lIcensIng ProgrAM United Media announced it has extended its relationship with HarperCollins Children’s Books by signing on to develop and manage a licensing program for the classic bedtime story, Goodnight Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. United Media also works with HarperCollins Children’s Books on the Fancy Nancy property. United Media will craft a lifestyle program of Goodnight Moon merchandise intended to comfort infants and toddlers during the day and seamlessly transition them from book to bed. Targeting newborn, infants, and toddlers, the core product categories will include apparel/accessories, domestics, room décor, gifts, and infant and preschool toys.
10 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
GoGo’s Crazy Bones Television series in The Works Producer/distributor Breakthrough Films & Television, Martomagic, and PPI Worldwide Group have partnered to develop a television series for Gogo’s Crazy Bones. Gogo’s Crazy Bones are both collectibles and used in various children’s games. They are available in three packs, five packs, and collector tins and feature hundreds of characters in multiple colors and designs. Each Gogo’s Crazy Bones character has its own personality, strength, power, and score to enhance collectability. Joy Tashjian Marketing Group is the North American licensing agent on behalf of the brand.
a squared and arChie ComiCs Team up WiTh sTan lee A Squared Entertainment and Archie Comics announced a collaboration with Stan Lee, founder, chairman, and chief creative officer of POW! Entertainment (Lee is also known as the co-creator of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, and Iron Man, among many others.), to create a new print and digital comic book line. Scheduled for release first is a new, original multimedia series called Super Seven to be distributed in print, online, on air and at retail. It’s the story about seven aliens who find themselves stranded on planet Earth after their spaceship crashes, only to be befriended by none other than Lee himself. Taking them under his care, Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes on Earth.
CBs Consumer produCTs unveils BeasTly liCensinG lineup CBS Consumer Products announced recently more than a dozen licensees to launch a new merchandising line in support of CBS Films’ motion picture Beastly, opening in movie theaters in the U.S. and Canada on July 30, 2010. Starring Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) and Alex Pettyfer (Wild Child, Stormbreaker), Beastly is an edgy teen romance about learning how to see past false surfaces to discover true inner beauty. Products will include merchandise from the apparel/accessory, gift, toy/game, social expression, publishing, stationery, and costume categories. CBS Consumer Products has lined up a comprehensive list of licensees to support Beastly in myriad categories. Jerry Leigh and Accessory Innovations will lead the apparel and accessory program. Bif Bang Pow and Fundex headline the toy/game category, and Storm City will launch the Beastly video game.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 11
ALL ACCESS
TOY FAIR 2010: A STAR-STUDDED EVENT Toy Fair 2010 took place last month in New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center. It was a star-studded event with actors Robert Downey Jr. and Donnie Osmond and wrestler Triple H introducing products during the course of the show. In addition to scheduled appearances, we spotted Supernanny Jo Frost and celebrity chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich reviewing products. Here is just a sampling of what took place over the four-day show.
The public has voted! Barbie has two new careers. Mattel announced career No. 125, which is news anchor, shown on the left. Career No. 126 is a computer engineer, which is shown on the right.
John Lasseter was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Lasseter is shown here holding the plaque. Neil Friedman, president of Mattel brands, is on the left. Shown on the right is Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products.
12 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
Mattel/Fisher-Price’s Dance Star Mickey was unveiled in the Javits Center with the help of reigning Dancing with the Stars champion Donny Osmond (pictured in the center). Also on hand for the unveiling was Neil Friedman, president of Mattel Brands (on the left), and Vince Klaseus, senior vice-president of global Disney toys (on the right).
Toy Fair kicked off Sunday morning with Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 presentation that included new toys as well as appearances from John Lasseter. The filmmaker revealed a look at Toy Story 3 with an all-new film trailer introducing a plush bear character named Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear, (seen exclusively on the February cover of TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT), which is one of the 14 new toys featured in the film. Lasseter is shown here examining a replica of himself created entirely of LEGO bricks for the event.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. is holding a Tony Stark figure from Iron Man 2 in Hasbro’s showroom.
The Cake Boss from the TLC series created this cake for the 25th anniversary of the introduction of MEGA Bloks.
Gund was showcasing the 30th birthday One-of-a-Kind Snuffles. The bear is dripping in diamonds, wearing a dazzling birthday necklace that is nearly 10 carats on a white gold chain. This 10-inch Snuffles, valued at nearly $10,000, is made from the softest white alpaca fur and features genuine leather accents on the nose. Snuffles’ gray eyes are created with 100 percent black Tahitian pearls.
WWE Superstar Triple H joined Mattel to launch Mattel’s first line of WWE action figures and accessories during Toy Fair.
Actor Taylor Lautner, star of the upcoming superhero adventure film Stretch Armstrong, from Universal Pictures and Hasbro, tries out the Nerf Raider blaster during a visit to Hasbro’s showroom.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 13
ENTERTAINMENT MARKETPLACE
THE J IM HENSON COMPANY BY LAURIE LEAHEY
hree things that preschoolers love are dinosaurs, trains, and exploring. And what better way to give preschoolers what they love than by merging all three of those things into a television show? On September 7, 2009, The Jim Henson Company’s animated series Dinosaur Train pulled into the station and kids climbed aboard to follow a dinosaur family on adventures Dinosaur Train’s through prehistoric lands. Buddy This CGI-animated series, for ages 3–6, features Buddy, a preschool-age Tyrannosaurus Rex. Buddy is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon and brought to their nest to hatch at the same time as his new siblings, Tiny, Shiny, and Don. Buddy and his new family have a desire to learn all about the different types of dinosaurs. They board the Dinosaur Train to travel and explore the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous worlds. Kids join Buddy and his adoptive Pteranodon family on voyages through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes, and oceans as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history, and paleontology. The Conductor provides passengers with “cool Dino facts” along the way. Each episode includes two 11-minute animated segments as well as live-action segments featuring paleontologist Scott Sampson. Dr. Scott, as he is called on the show, gives preschoolers specific facts about dinosaurs and compares their features to animals of today. The show’s educational component extends to the PBS Kids website at pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain. On this interactive website, Buddy, Tiny, Mrs. Pteranodon, and the Conductor guide children as they discover natural history and paleontology through fun games and activities. But the website isn’t Dinosaur Train’s final stop. The Jim Henson Company has signed numerous licensees for Dinosaur Train preschool products, including Learning Curve (the global master toy licensee), Random House, Grosset a scene from Dinosaur Train & Dunlap, Patch Products, Pressman Toy, Wiesner Products, and Imagine Apparel, among others. The licensed products, most of which will debut this fall, will offer preschoolers a way to extend the fun of the show at home and keep Dinosaur Train chugging along.
T
14 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
NEED
TO
KNOW
• Dinosaur Train was created by Craig Bartlett, who also created Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!
• The characters of Buddy and Tiny are voiced by real children. Eleven-year-old Philip Corlett voices Buddy and his 9-year-old sister Claire Corlett voices Tiny. Their dad Ian Corlett is the voice of the Conductor. • Dinosaur Train airs Monday through Friday on PBS Kids. (Check local listings.)
• Dr. Scott Sampson, who is featured on the show, is a dinosaur paleontologist from Canada. He has written one book, Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life, and is at work on a second book.
PRESSMAN TOY
Pressman Toy recently signed on to produce games based on Dinosaur Train. In the works are a Pop ’N Race Game, Make a Match Game, and All Aboard Game (shown), which will feature characters and educational content from the show. The games will be available this fall.
CRAYOLA
Crayola signed on to produce a variety of coloring books and Color Wonder sets based on Dinosaur Train. Shown is the Dinosaur Train Color Wonder Markers and Coloring Pad.
RANDOM HOUSE
Random House signed on to publish a range of kids’ books based on Dinosaur Train. The deal sees Dinosaur Train-themed coloring and activity books, as well as illustrated Little Golden Books (shown). The program is set to launch this fall.
CALIFORNIA COSTUME COLLECTIONS
California Costume Collections recently signed on to produce Halloween costumes based on characters from Dinosaur Train. Shown is the Buddy costume. A costume for Tiny will also be available.
LEARNING CURVE
Learning Curve Brands signed on as the global master toy licensee for Dinosaur Train. Under the multi-year agreement, Learning Curve will produce a line of preschool products that brings to life the world of the series. Shown is the Dinosaur Train Dino Fun Buddy.
HALLMARK
Hallmark will produce Dinosaur Trainbranded party goods, ornaments, and greeting cards. An example of what the greetings cards will look like is pictured on the right.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 15
MERCHANDISE MAKERS
KEEPING KIDS CREATIVE
BY
PAUL NARULA
s a young mother, Nurit Amdur (co-founder and CEO of Alex) was struck by what she felt was a major problem in the arts and crafts market for children. “Products were either of poor quality or they were full-fledged artist’s quality tools being sold to children,” says Amdur. Instead of simply fretting about this issue, Amdur set out to create a line of products that could be a compromise of the two: a high-quality art kit that was still geared toward children. Joined by her husband Rick, Amdur founded Alex in 1986 with the creation of a plastic lunch box filled with arts and craft supplies called My Art Bin. The product was successful and Alex has continued to build on that success, growing into a company with hundreds of products across a wide variety of categories, including art, craft, bath, style, baby, and preschool. The company’s products are sold in more than 80 countries, ranging from Mexico and Guatemala to Qatar and Indonesia, and Alex continues to expand its retail initiative with its latest endeavor, which is placing Alex retail stores around the world. Despite its growth, Alex has continued to stay true to the philosophy that led Amdur to the creation of the company’s first art kit. “Our products incorporate the key elements of fun, learning, and interac-
A
16 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
tion,” says Amdur. All of Alex’s art kits are designed to allow children to complete them on their own or with help from a parent, creating opportunities for family play and bonding or the confidence-boosting results of having completed a project all on their own. “Parents want their kids to learn and kids want to have fun,” says Amdur. “Our products bridge this gap by embedding the didactic element in the toy. . . but shh, don’t tell the kids!”
Alex’s newest products include the Foil Bead Maker (above) and the Talk of the Farm play mat (left).
One of the major focuses of Alex when it comes to toy designs is the way children approach different stages of social, emotional, and physical development. The company prides itself on attention to detail, which is supported by its internal design and child development teams. Alex makes products that span a wide variety of ages and genders and the company’s research allows it to determine exactly what each demographic is looking for and helps Alex create a positive expe-
rience for its consumers. “The positive experience that an Alex product creates results in repeat sales, which helps us foster a relationship with the consumer,” says Amdur. One example of a line that was helped with this dedication to research is the Alex Little Hands range of products, which fills the niche for supplies and craft kits for children ages 2–5. The products are large and chunky to be easily handled by children and each kit is divided into separate individually wrapped projects, allowing one child to play with one project at a time or letting multiple children play with the same kit simultaneously without getting in each other’s way. “These ageappropriate, attainable projects are perfectly suited to the attention spans and abilities of the youngest creative minds,” says Amdur. Staying true to form, Alex has more than 100 new items hitting the shelves in 2010 in every one of its product categories. Though the recession did slow the company’s business down, its international market helped sustain it through the slower months and the company will continue to expand. Alex is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Little Hands product line with the new Talk of the Farm interactive toy, which was on display at Toy Fair this year. Amdur and her company have gone far beyond the art-supply lunchbox they started with 24 years ago. “It was the humble beginning of a big dream to create the world of Alex—a lifestyle brand of well-designed, high quality products for kids,” says Amdur.
INDUSTRY FORUM
TIA UNVEILS TOP TRENDS BY
ADRIENNE APPELL, TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
housands of toys destined for store shelves were recently unveiled at the American International Toy Fair held February 14–17 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Toy Industry Association (TIA) scoured the toy floor and its more than 100,000 products on display to identify this year’s top trends. What’s the grade for this year’s toys? Each gets an “A” as in: Active, Accessible, Affordable, and Aspirational.
T
This is just a sampling of companies that showed new product lines at this year’s Toy Fair.
Active play exercises the body while active intelligence and active imagination engage young minds. Active play gets kids up and moving and promotes healthy lifestyle choices. Even products that have a high-tech component are fostering “kid-generated action” by incorporating movement into game play
ACTIVE
18 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
FROM
(such as with the Wii gaming system). Focusing on “play with a purpose,” active imagination and active intelligence toys (such as arts and crafts) and games stimulate the mind and creativity through hands-on play. Many of this year’s imagination-centric products empower childsized roleplay with dolls and action figures; others encourage kids to create things their own way through engaging arts and crafts and science/discovery offerings. Brain teasers and problem-solving toys and games incorporate strategic play scenarios, cooperative teamwork, or competition. Accessible play means small and portable items for kids and families on the move. Compact editions of toys and games— including classic board games revitalized with open-ended and customizable formats and shorter play times—create fun on the run. By capitalizing on the tech world, this trend also gives kids of all ages anytime access to their favorite ways to play. In addition to an incredible array of eye-popping formats (some in 3-D), a number of iPhone apps and eReaders are incorporating the latest gaming and spatial learning technologies to make content readable, playable, and fun. Photos, tweets, and texts, YouTube and Facebook posts, blogs, and more are giving families new ways to communicate, socialize, and share their worlds with others who have similar interests.
ACCESSIBLE
Affordable accurately describes a broad range of products—many priced at $25 or
AFFORDABLE
TOY FAIR
less—that includes attention to detail, additional features, and extended play value. Consumers will continue to be costconscious well into 2010. But families on a budget will find that toymakers have pumped up the products this year with details to delight both kids and adult collectors. Parents will find incredible sculpting and detailed designs at surprisingly low price points. Another key affordability factor is the extended pennies-per-play value that comes from construction sets, arts and crafts projects, and child-sized roleplay activities that let kids play again and again with different results. Aspirational toys and games empower young people to think and play in ways that positively influence their emotional and intellectual development. From earth-friendly products to ecoawareness toys to products that teach about charity, mentoring, and giving back to communities, an influx of new youth-oriented products are helping small kids learn big concepts and empowering them to enact change along the way. The aspiration trend also includes an array of interesting educational offerings—not just toys and games that indirectly teach, but formal curriculum that can help to guide parents, caregivers, and educators as children take a hands-on, active role in their learning.
ASPIRATIONAL
For more information on the Toy Industry Association, visit www.toyassociation.org.
INDUSTRY FORUM
TAKE
A
VACATION:
CAN INDEPENDENT RETAILERS TAKE TIME OFF? BY
KATHLEEN MCHUGH, ASTRA
t’s an appealing idea. Take the plunge, start your own business, and enjoy the rewards of being your own boss. That means more freedom and more time off, right? Wrong, according to many hard-working independent toy retailers who are members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). In fact, getting away from the store— whether for a well-deserved vacation or for attending key industry events such as ASTRA’s annual Marketplace & Academy—presents big challenges for small retailers who are an integral part of their store’s day-to-day happenings. Retailers are not alone, of course, in their struggle to get a break from work. Americans lag well behind their European and Asian counterparts in the number of vacation days they take each year. Italians get an average of 42 days; the French, 37; and the Japanese and Koreans, 25—compared to the U.S. average of 13. Time off is precious indeed—and for most ASTRA members, likely to be less than the national average. If you need to take some time off, establish a plan, which will benefit you, your employees, and your customers. • EMPOWER EMPLOYEES. “Failing to empower your employees is a classic mistake of small business owners,” says Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys & Books in Scottsdale, Ariz. “We need to provide a
I
20 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
working environment that creates trust, loyalty, and confidence in each other’s decision making. I always make sure I have a second in command on my staff so I can get to shows such as ASTRA’s Marketplace or take time for something special like a 10th anniversary trip with my husband.” Some experts suggest that if you’re thinking of taking time off, have staff write up daily routines and procedures so they demonstrate their understanding of the responsibilities. • TEST OUT THE SYSTEM. Take short trips. If you’re not 100 percent sure that your staff is up to the job of running things, take a couple of days off without leaving town. Any gaps in their ability to manage will emerge and you can either beef up your training or rethink how you staff your store when you are gone. • KEEP IN TOUCH. Linda Hays, owner of Hopscotch Toys & Games in McMinnville, Ohio, often finds herself texting staff when she is on the show floor at ASTRA’s Marketplace or Toy Fair. “Sometimes I’m helping them manage a problem and sometimes I’m sharing information about a new toy I’ve found,” says Hays. “In any case, I tend to keep a close watch on the numbers while I’m away and check in with the staff at least daily.” • DON’T KEEP IN TOUCH. Work on containing the amount of contact with staff. If you’re time away is about vacation (as opposed to a business trip), make a decision about staff contact before you go. Are you going to be part of the 29 percent of entrepre-
neurs who are in touch with their businesses every day while on so-called vacation, or are you going to set up an emergency-only contact plan with your staff? Experts suggest we all need occasional rest and renewal, but if you’re just not wired to let go entirely, contain your contact to a 10-minute, pre-scheduled debriefing call with employees each day. As you plan your time-away strategy, remember that everyone has different down-time needs. Hays prefers short breaks of a day or two—and her ideal scenario is nine days away (two successive weekends and the week in between.) Tanner found a way to squeeze in a luxurious three- to fourweek vacation last year (some of which was tending to aging parent needs and some for the anniversary trip), but she does not expect that amount of time off every year. “My main concern is setting up my business so I can do a longer vacation if and when I really need one,” says Tanner. Whatever your time-off needs and strategies, however, Tanner points out that one thing is crystal clear. “The only way you can do it,” she says, “is to generate enough sales to pay staff to cover for you. One of the big reasons that I work so hard on my marketing program is that it pays off in the form of truly relaxing time off. The connection between the two is very motivating.”
Kathleen McHugh is president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). For more information, visit www.astratoy.org. ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy takes place June 13–16.
INDUSTRY FORUM
The Designer’s Perspective: The Times They Are a Changin’ BY
MATT NUCCIO, DESIGN EDGE
just attended my 18th consecutive New York Toy Fair. But to get technical, I have been to many more. I grew up around the design side of the toy business and helped out at a few Toy Fairs here and there while attending high school and college. At that time, I was cutting comps, painting decos, and building out showrooms in the Toy Building. It was a bustling time. It was an exciting time. Things moved fast and showrooms were packed. Things are very different today. The past few years I have seen fewer and fewer people attend the New York show, but New York is not alone. I have also seen fewer
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people at the Hong Kong and Nuremberg shows, too. It seems trade shows are far less necessary than they used to be. These days companies are meeting with retailers outside of the trade shows. Just a few years ago there was a buying season; today we are preparing presentations, prototypes, and packaging comps for sales meetings all year long. Today you can email a buyer an entire presentation rather than travel thousands of miles to make the presentation. Do the shows serve a purpose? For me the shows are a good way to see clients face-to-face and chat with the buyers. The shows, especially New York, are far more
important to the small to mid-size companies than to the huge companies. I see this trend as a good thing. It gives the start-ups and small to mid-size companies face time with buyers, reps, media, and designers. So, yes, for now these trade shows still serve a purpose and I am happy to report that this year’s Toy Fair seemed busier and more positive than the Toy Fairs of the past few years. But let’s see if that holds true five years from now. Stay tuned.
Design Edge is a graphic design and research development studio. Matt Nuccio can be reached at matt@designedge.net or at (516) 377–0500.
Keeping It Real with Board Games BY
CHRIS ADAMS
W
e live in a time where people have access to, and utilize, numerous means of social networking. People have abundant options to “interact” with their social network, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, vlogs, and LinkedIn, just to name a few. While these types of sites certainly do have a role in today’s world, sometimes they forget about the “social” part of the social networking equation. They lack the true face-to-face interaction that is offered in real-world scenarios. Of course, that is not to say that there isn’t a need and a demand for actual socializing. There certainly is. This greatly benefits a toy category that fosters face-to-face socializing; the success of the game category over the past year or two is a testament to the demand for real world, real time socializing. “In the board game industry, we all understand the competitive pressure of newer, Literary properties are a technology-driven play mainstay of the game category. experiences like video, New licensed game internet, and iPhone introductions for 2010 include the Dr. Seuss The Cat in the games,” says Jacobe Hat What’s in the Hat? Game Chrisman, CEO and by I Can Do That! Games and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid The founder of I Can Do That! Cheese Touch Game by Pressman Toy Corp. Games. “However, these experiences have yet to truly capture the same social, face-to-face interactive experience a great board game can.” While the game category has benefited from serving as a counterbalance to digital means of interacting and entertainment, that’s not to say that the digital realm—which can foster short attention spans with its 24-7 access to virtually anything—hasn’t had an effect on board games. The
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myriad factors that have lead to shorter attention spans in consumers have certainly left an imprint on the games category. “Everything today is quicker and faster paced,” says Tim Weiner, vicepresident of marketing at Cadaco. “People have shorter attention spans and are looking for stimulation. If they like a game, they can play additional rounds.” Cadaco’s lineup is indicative of this. It consists of games that are fairly simple and quick to understand and play. This concept is certainly evident throughout the game category and has even influenced classic board game titles. Hasbro Games has a stable of some of the most iconic games in the industry’s history, including Monopoly (which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year), The Game of Life (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year), Scrabble, and Operation. Part of the reason behind the longevity of these games is their high-profile status and part can be attributed to Hasbro’s adjusting game play for each new generation. “At the core, the fact that they are such great games has kept them at the forefront,” says Phil Jackson, group executive for Hasbro Games. “We keep them relevant, topical, and ready for each generation. Over time we refine games and make them better playing games.”
Entertainment Value Of course, acting as a counterbalance to social networking is one factor in the success of the game category over the past few years, but it’s not the biggest. The ongoing economic uncertainty has consumers turning to the game category for multiple reasons: the entertainment value per dollar that the category offers, the comfort of the familiar classics the category offers, etc. “During tough economic times, families look for more affordable entertainment options and a board game can provide hours of entertainment time and again,” says Jim Pressman, president of Pressman Toy
Corp. “Interestingly, we’ve seen consumers drawn to more traditional board games that bring the family together around a living room or kitchen table. More expensive DVD games—once popular—are being phased out.” Not only are consumers showing a preference for traditional board games, they too are attracted to classic titles and modern updates to these industry stalwarts. This year will see the introduction of a host of updates to classic titles that focus on the tried-and-true word game play pattern. Updates of popular games Tripoley and Scrabble will be Cadaco will introduce Tripoley Word while introduced this year in the Hasbro will introduce an electronic update form of Cadaco’s Tripoley Word (this page) and Hasbro Games’ to the classic with Scrabble Flash. Scrabble Flash (opposite page). A classic brand from another category that has seen growth amid a weak economy will be entering the game category this year. LEGO plans to enter the category in a big way with
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the introduction of 10 games in 2010. “We conducted significant research in nearly 100 new concepts for the LEGO brand, and board games was the clear winner among children and their moms,” says Michael McNally, brand relations director at LEGO. “When looking beyond the construction category, we looked for a solid, evergreen category where we could drive fresh, welcomed innovation through a new way to play with the LEGO brand, while at the same time adding a social dimension to LEGO play that makes it a ‘friends and family’ opportunity for building.”
Property Play Beyond classic board game titles, licensing is another way that game manufacturers add the comfort that comes with familiarity into their lines.
“Licensing brings immediate recognition to the consumer,” says Bonnie Canner, vice-president of marketing at Cardinal Industries. “When a parent chooses a licensed product for their children, there is a comfort level with the characters.” Of course, just putting a label on a game’s box doesn’t make for a successful licensed game. The license has to marry itself with the game’s play. I Can Do That! Games has seen success with marrying literary properties with board game play. In fact, 2009 was the company’s best year on record—the company experienced 30 percent growth. “I believe our approach to licensing is quite different than the traditional industry approach,” says Chrisman. “We work with trusted multigenerational literary properties and then we bring characters and story themes to life through original game play experiences. We work very hard to innovate and develop
new game play mechanics that only further enhance and expand upon the world of a character.” The success of I Can Do That!’s literary propertylicensed games highlights a connection between the board game category and the publishing industry. A lot of publishing focuses around a strong story and playing a game is very much like telling a story. This connection has lead to strong board game offerings in major booksellers like Barnes & Noble. Whether shopping in book stores or toy stores, online or brick-and-mortar, or any of the other nontraditional outlets where games are available, it is clear that even amid economic hardship consumers are buying board games to play with their family and friends. The small amount of money necessary to buy a board game is no comparison to the quality time a good game can foster. That is priceless.
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Board Games BY
CHRIS ADAMS
In a world with so many entertainment options, the classic board game play pattern stands the test of time. In fact, the category is one of the strongest in the toy industry right now. Below is a sampling of some new board games that will hit shelves in 2010.
Cadaco Players can become the captain of their favorite ship from Deadliest Catch with this board game from Cadaco. They must survive the hazards of the Bering Sea as they race to drop their crab pots and return to port with the largest crab count. The game is for two players or teams, ages 10 and up.
Mattel Fundex In Inch Worms, players roll the colored die and pull the worms from the dirt until their color is revealed.
Jax Mattel’s Bezzerwizzer is a game of trivia, tactics, and trickery. This new spin on trivia game play offers 20 categories of questions.
Techno Source Haywire Haywire’s Rock Stars features musical trivia and challenges. It includes an audio CD and a microphone.
Bubble Talk is a hilarious game that challenges players to match funny pictures with an array of humorous captions. The game includes 150 pictures and 300 caption cards.
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In Sequence Letters, players sound out the letter on their cards, match it to the beginning sound of a picture on the board, and place a chip there.
Briarpatch Cardinal Cardinal Industries’ 2010 game lineup will feature licenses such as Penguins of Madagascar, Toy Story 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Iron Man, and Alice in Wonderland. Also on the way is a game based on the latest installment in the Twilight saga, Eclipse.
Briarpatch’s Blockers! is a game that lets players choose their own strategy to create connected groups of their own color while blocking and capturing opponents.
Pressman Among Pressman’s many 2010 game introductions is Heads in the Sand. This 3-D board game sharpens memory skills as kids play with glittery ostriches. With each turn, a player removes an ostrich from the sand. If the ostrich’s head matches the color the player needs, he or she becomes one step closer to winning. Also on the way from Pressman is the NCIS Board Game, based on the popular CBS drama.
I Can Do That! Hasbro During the 75th anniversary year of Monopoly, Hasbro will be introducing a new take on that classic game with Monopoly: Revolution. Players travel around the circular game board while trying to become the wealthiest player by buying, trading, and renting classic Atlantic City properties.
Makers of the I Can Do That! line of preschool games will be launching a new family games brand called ZimZala Games. The line is designed for players 8 and up. The ZimZala Games lineup includes Konexi (shown), which is a gravity-defying word game, and Spotcha!, a game of quick reactions where fast eyes and fast hands are the keys to victory.
Buffalo Games LEGO LEGO will be introducing 10 new board games that leverage classic board game play of guessing, strategy, memory, logic, and chance. Minotaurus (shown) challenges players to lead their three heroes to the temple while avoiding the Minotaur and placing walls to block their opponents. Additional titles include Pirate Code, Race 3000, Hogwarts, Magikus, Robo Champ, and Ramses Pyramid.
Buffalo Games’ newest party game is called Truth Be Told. Each player acts as the host and reads a question card and answers it honestly while the other players try to answer while pretending to be the host. Then the host collects all of the answers and reads them aloud while the other players try to guess which answer is the real host’s answer.
Gamewright Gamewright’s Bingo Link is a game based on Walter Wick’s Can You See What I See? book series. Players try to mark a path between two pictures captured on the board. The first player to link two sides together wins. Additional introductions include Take the Cake, Order’s Up, and Rory’s Story Cubes.
Bananagrams Wild Planet Wild Planet has extended its licensing agreement with Crayola to include Crayolalicensed board games. The line of games includes Doodle Match, which is a matching game in which players practice matching colors and objects. Additional titles include Guess My Picture and Color Mix-A-Roo.
Bananagrams’ Oh-Spell is a card game for ages 6 and up that combines the concept of four patterned suits with the 26 letters of the alphabet. Also on the way is Zip-It, which is a fast-paced anagram game that can be played in as little as 20 seconds. Its packaging makes it a perfect travel game.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 29
Putting It All Together BY
PAUL NARULA
aking a beautiful image, breaking it into a hundred pieces, and are a number of popular children’s properpainstakingly putting it back together again may not seem like ties out there that can lend a the type of thing anyone would find enjoyable. Yet this seem- great deal of weight to a puringly arduous task is exactly what anyone who cracks open a chase. “Importantly, puzzles puzzle box will undertake. Puzzles continue to play a major part are a perfect low-price toy for in the lives of both children and adults and remain a strong category in toys parents to satiate a child’s today. “People love puzzles because of the sense of accomplishment they get need to interact with his or The Canadian Group will feature collectible tins as for completing them,” says Jim Pressman, president of Pressman Toy. her favorite characters,” containers for a new line of art puzzles. “There’s no deadline for completing a jigsaw puzzle.” says Jill Bazos, vice-presiIn a time when a great deal of entertainment and play is centered on new dent of marketing at Fundex. technologies, puzzles may seem to lack the attention-grabbing power of other Adults can be drawn to licenses as well, but on-trend artwork can be more play patterns. However, the category has more going for it now than some important for older puzzle enthusiasts. “We make sure we maintain a good might suspect. Many manufacturers point to the relationship with a number of artists and art houses,” increased desire of most families to focus more on activsays Guy Thomas, vice-president of puzzles and games ities that can be done together, and puzzles certainly fall at MEGA Brands. “When they see something new and fresh, we want to be at the front of their minds.” into that category. “It’s a great pastime that generations Beyond licensing, many companies have begun can do with each other,” says Jason Schneider, product changing the very nature of puzzles themselves to add development and marketing manager at Ceaco. In addinew dimensions to the game play. University Games, for tion, puzzles are often thought of as a great educational example, has created a line of mystery puzzles in which aid for children. “The educational aspect of puzzles is an puzzlers read a short story and assemble a puzzle to solve attractive draw for parents,” says Elise Gresch, general the mystery. Patch Products is adding 3-D puzzles to its manager of the BePuzzled brand for University Games. It Lauri brand, utilizing technology that has been used for also helps that puzzles appeal to both children and adult movies. “We’ve taken a new technology and added it “puzzlers” as a hobby and a challenging activity. “The Fundex’s new Barbie Puzzle Pizzazz lets to a classic product,” says Lisa Wuenneman, director of serious puzzler will purchase, on average, 15 puzzles a year and casual puzzlers will purchase 3–5 a year,” says children assemble and decorate their puzzle. marketing at Patch Products. One company, 4D Cityscape, is going even further, adding the dimension Veronica Sanchez, national director of sales at Discovery Bay Games. In addition, most basic puzzles don’t come with a high price tag, which has of time to a puzzle—players assemble a model of New York City that evolves made them an even more appealing option as families tighten their budgets. in the same way the city did over 200 years as the 3-D puzzle is put together. Puzzles have experienced a strong growth spurt thanks to the renewed “In a recessionary or down economy, puzzles become a low-cost entertainment activity that you can pass on to other puzzlers,” says Barrie Simpson, emphasis on family togetherness, but manufacturers don’t see this as a temporary boost. The category has continued to innovate, maintaining the interpartner at The Canadian Group. Keeping a classic category like puzzles fresh can be a challenge, but many est of hobbyists and casual consumers. With a wide audience, an affordable companies have risen to the challenge. Sometimes, all it takes is an appealing price tag, and constant innovation, most manufacturers are confident about license or a popular artist’s work. “For us, it’s usually about the licenses we being able to deliver strong product for a strong demand. “We are constantly pick and the images we choose,” says Marc Shinderman, general manager at improving the consumers’ experience with high quality materials, new forBriarpatch. “The stories they read when they’re going to bed or the wonder- mats, and the brightest, clearest, most colorful images possible,” says J.P. ful memories they have are a part of why consumers buy our products now.” Clauson, president of The Lafayette Puzzle Factory. “At the end of the day, Licensing is especially important in the children’s puzzle category, as there that’s what a puzzler wants and that is what we give them.”
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Wi t h s t yle s and le ve ls of dif f icul t y th at c an appe al to any demographic, the puzzle c ate gor y h as gro wn ove r t he pas t fe w ye ars as popular lice nse s abound and manuf ac t ure rs adde d ne w ways for puzzle rs to e njoy t he ir f avor i te pas t ime . He re is a look at jus t some of the ne we s t puzzle s to hi t the mar ke t in 2010.
Cardinal
Cardinal has introduced a line of new licensed puzzles for children, featuring popular brands such as Disney Princess and Dora the Explorer.
Pressman Toy
Pressman Toy is creating a line of licensed products based on The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney.
Briarpatch
Briarpatch will be making a full line of puzzles based on the illustrations of the Madeline children’s book series by Ludwig Bemelmans.
Buffalo Games
Buffalo Games has teamed up with artist William Wegman, who is famous for his depictions of his Weimaraner dogs.
Lafayette Puzzle Factory
Teaming up with Crayola, the Lafayette Puzzle Factory will produce the Crayola Chalkboard Floor Puzzle. Kids can assemble the puzzle and then draw on it with the included Crayola chalk.
Ravensburger
Ravensburger has created a full line of puzzles centered around the characters from Thomas & Friends.
Ceaco Patch Products
Under its Lauri brand, Patch Products will be introducing new crepe rubber puzzles for young children.
New from Ceaco is the Gallery Puzzle series. These puzzles come with a frame that puzzlers can use to display their completed projects on the wall, on a desk, or anywhere else a picture might be displayed.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 31
A NEW KIND
OF
STORYTELLING
BY LAURIE LEAHEY
re great stories still enough to get kids reading? Most children’s book publishers will say that great stories and great characters will always keep a child interested. “Content drives readers,” says Valerie Garfield, vice-president and publisher for novelty and licensed publishing, Simon & Schuster. “Whether it be the child who’s interested in fantasy or a mystery, getting the right books into kids’ hands is what’s going to make the difference.” But it’s more than just giving kids the right books. It’s also getting those books out on the right platform. Multiplatform is the buzzword right now. From the internet to cell phones, kids are always connected and always looking to be entertained. “Children are omnimedia consumers so they’re getting all of their media wherever they want it, when they want it, and how they want it,” says Nicholas Callaway, founder and chairman of Callaway Arts & Entertainment. “Print-based books are just one piece of the puzzle.” Kids are looking for more than just words printed on a page. They want new ways to not only read but also interact with a book. With their attention spans so divided among various media, it’s important to offer something that not only grabs kids’ attentions but also keeps their interest. One way to get kids interested in reading is by changing up the format of the printed book. Graphic novels and comic book-style books (the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is just one example) have become very popular among both younger children and the tween/teen set. This month, Yen Press, the graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group, will publish the first volume in the graphic novel adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s
A
Twilight. Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 contains selected text from the original novel with black-and-white illustrations. (Hachette was unavailable for comment.) Graphic novels and comics lend themselves well to kids for a variety of reasons. “For kids that are so used to the visual cues that they get from video games and everything digital, it’s a format that just works to so many kids’ strengths,” says Robin Adelson, executive director of the Children’s Book Council. Many publishers also say that this format helps promote literacy in early readers and older kids who are at a lower reading level. The Phonics Comics line from innovativeKids uses phonics to help kids sound out words and build vocabularies. “It’s really gotten kids, especially the reluctant readers, to pick up a book,” says Shari Kaufman, president and publisher of innovativeKids. “For kids at a lower reading level, these comics have engaged them to feel that they’re not reading baby books but that they’re reading comic books.” But what happens after kids read the book? Many children’s books get turned into movies, but kids have to wait for the movie release and, as stated previously, kids want their entertainment when they want it. Providing interactive content on the web helps extend the experience of the books and kids can access it whenever they want. Scholastic introduced its first multimedia book series The 39 Clues in 2008. The series, which ends this fall with the 10th book in the series, includes the books, collectible cards, and an online game that allows readers to take part in the story and compete for prizes. Scholastic’s new multiplatform book series Trackers, which debuts in May, combines books with online
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HarperCollins’ Big Nate follows the trend of graphic novel/comic book-style books.
videos and games. “Multiplatform publishing is about making the connections to get readers wherever they are,” says Suzanne Murphy, vicepresident and publisher of trade publishing and marketing at Scholastic. “If you’re into trading cards or you’re into gaming, we’re trying to get to that 8–12-year-old kid and get them reading.” There is also a new element in the world of book publishing and it is slowly making its way into the realm of children’s books—digital readers. The Amazon Kindle, a handheld wireless reading device that lets consumers purchase, download, and read books, came out in 2007, and since then many other variations have followed. Barnes & Noble introduced its nook last October. Sony has its Reader. And this month
sees the release of the Apple iPad, which allows consumers to access the web, watch videos, listen to music, store photos, and, oh yeah, purchase and read books through the iBook app. Publishers such as Random House and HarperCollins already publish some of their young adult and teen books as e-books. However, reading in this format is still relatively new to the children’s/young adult market. “We’re finding that teens are coming to this now, but not as quickly as adults,” says Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins’ Children’s Books. “The percentage of e-books that we’re selling is less than half of what our adult group is selling.” Because e-readers haven’t completely infiltrated the children’s book market, it still remains to be seen what effect this new technology will have, if any, on sales of tradition-
Scholastic’s new multimedia book series Trackers incorporates books with online videos and games.
al paper books. According to data collected by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), year-to-date e-book sales, as of December 2009, reached $19.1 million, reflecting a 119.7 percent jump for December and a 176.6 percent increase for the year. In the adult market, paperback and mass market sales were down, while the hardcover category year-to-date sales were up by 6.9 percent. Many children’s book publishers are embracing a “both/and” attitude instead of thinking in terms of “either/or.” No one foresees the demise of the paper book because there will always be a large number of consumers who love to read and who love to own the books that they love. A book that parents can hold in their hands and read with their young children offers a more intimate quality than reading a story on a computer screen. “Younger kids are going to want to favor books,” says Kate Klimo, vice-president and publisher, Random House/Golden Books for Young Readers Group. “Adults to some degree will still want to buy books because there is that comfort of [seeing] spines on a shelf.” No matter what platform kids choose for reading, the bottom line is that they want to read great stories. “At the end of the day, if you don’t have a compelling story, you can hire a skywriter and people are going to be bored and not pay attention,” says Chip Flaherty Jr., publisher of Walden Pond Press. “Our first mission is to get stories straight and then to embrace technology.” Right now, kids are still finding plenty of good stories at bookstores. The AAP reported that 2009 sales were up 2.2 percent in the children’s/young adult paperback category thanks to kids (and some adults) searching for and buying books that mimic their favorite stories. Successful recent book series such as Twilight and Percy Jackson and the Olympians have created a hunger for more vampires and more
Penguin’s Vampire Academy novels appeal to fans of the Twilight series.
adventure and the children’s book industry has happily delivered a plethora of books with similar themes. No one can deny the presence of e-readers and other media platforms, however. This is a time of experimentation in the book publishing industry as publishers continue to merge new technology with traditional books. For children’s books at least, modern technology is seen by some as a means of creating more ways to get kids reading. “We just look at it as another format and another way to deliver stories,” says Jen Haller, vice-president, associate publisher, Penguin Books for Young Readers. “We’ll supply [stories] any way [kids] want them if they’re going to be reading them and talking about them and becoming writers themselves.” Whether via paper book or e-book, when kids read because they love to read, it’s always a good thing.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 33
CHILDREN’S BOOKS BY LAURIE LEAHEY
Media-savvy kids are looking for different ways to read and interact with their favorite books. But whether a traditional print book or an e-book, great stories will always entice kids to read. On these pages are a few new children’s and young adult books coming out this year.
HARPERCOLLINS
This month, HarperCollins will release Hourglass, the third book in the Evernight series about the starcrossed love of Bianca, a vampire, and Lucas, the boy trained to kill her kind.
SCHOLASTIC
Trackers is the newest multimedia book series from Scholastic. The series offers a combination of book, video, and web experience for middle-grade readers. Trackers Book #1 will be published May 11.
WALDEN POND PRESS
In January, Walden Pond Press released Cosmic, a book about a 12year-old boy named Liam who looks like he’s 30. Liam uses this to his advantage when he cons his way onto the first spaceship taking civilians into space.
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CALLAWAY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Callaway Arts & Entertainment is developing e-books for the iPhone and the iPad. The e-book version of Miss Spider’s Tea Party will debut soon and the company has created episodic stories for viewing on the iPad. The English Roses, chapter books by Madonna, will also be on the iPad. Shown is an artistic rendering of what a Callaway e-book might look like on an iPad.
SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS
Silver Dolphin Books will introduce its Teddy Bear Sing Along series this year. These books combine the sounds of classic children’s songs with pictures of posed teddy bears on the farm, riding on the bus, and more. The first titles, Old McDonald Had a Farm and The Wheels on the Bus, are scheduled for a June release.
SIMON & SCHUSTER
Pop artist Romero Britto brings the alphabet to life in the My Alphabet Playbook from Simon & Schuster. As children read the board book, they can guess which object is hiding under each press-out letter. Kids can stack the letters to make their own sculptures.
INNOVATIVEKIDS
innovativeKids’ Now I’m Reading! Plays include a 24-page storybook, five play scripts, and four character masks. Both The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella (shown) are formatted to improve fluency and comprehension.
CHRONICLE
Chronicle and Paul Frank Industries teamed up for a new board book called High Five with Julius. Geared toward infants and toddlers, the book features the whimsical world of Paul Frank and offers an innovative touch-and-feel texture.
PENGUIN
The latest book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series is Eleventh Grade Burns. The book series follows vampire Vladimir Tod as he battles enemies and tries to have a normal school life.
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP
Hachette Book Group’s graphic novel imprint Yen Press will publish the first volume in the graphic novel adaptation of Twilight. Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 contains selected text from the original book with black-and-white illustrations.
RANDOM HOUSE
Spun off from the A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy, Random House is introducing a brand new mystery series called Calendar Mysteries. There will be one book for each month. February Friend (shown) is about the mystery of the anonymous Valentine.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 35
LimiKids
P’kolino
P’kolino partnered with Jovi, a manufacturer of children’s art supplies, to exclusively merchandise a co-branded line of products for Jovi. The P’kolino line of art supplies will include triangle colored pencils, hexagon colored pencils, poster paints, finger paints, triangle crayons, colorful markers, and hexagon crayons. The art supplies will be distributed exclusively to retail boutiques in the U.S.
Complete with a metal ladder, gymnastics rings, a trapeze, rope, and a horizontal bar, LimiKids’ home gym sets fit in an apartment, house, or basement thanks to a compact design that allows the set to easily be installed and disassembled. Each gym center is constructed of sturdy metal tubes, which are securely held against floor and ceiling without leaving marks on either surface. The sets also come with “kiddie exercise” routines. The basic compact model is $329 and the more complex jungle gym sells for $769. More information can be found at www.LimiKids.com.
C.R. Gibson and Carter’s
C.R. Gibson and Carter’s teamed up to produce three new collections of photo, memory, and gift products for the specialty baby market. The new Carter’s collections include Laguna, Meadowlark, and Just Hatched (shown), and feature a variety of memory books, photo albums, first year calendars, keepsake chests, gift bags, and scrapbooks.
Vision Audio
EASe Funhouse Treasure Hunt from Vision Audio, Inc., is a PC game that uses 3-D game technology to help children with autism spectrum disorders learn to cope with noise and improve sensory processing. As the child controls a toy tractor through a topsy-turvy toy land, he listens and follows verbal and on-screen directions to scan the environment and collect letters, words, faces, and object treasures, while listening to EASe therapeutic music. Treasures include words, dot cards, images of human faces, colors, and geometric shapes. The game is for ages 6 and up and can be purchased at www.easecd.com.
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Everley Consultants LLC
The Aquafier Magnifying Lens Kit allows kids to construct a magnifying glass using two large, clear, plastic fiber optic-quality lenses; an oversized custom-made rubber band; and water. To assemble the Aquafier, submerge the three-inch lenses in a sink of water to capture the water inside. Then place the large rubber band around the outside of the lenses to hold them in place. The water in the lenses works as a high quality magnifier that creates 5X magnification. It can be used as a teaching and learning tool for science, physics, and optics.
Educational Insights
Stix & Stones is a new family game from Educational Insights. This prehistoric picture-making race challenges players to create an image of a word on a card using only sticks and stones. The game is designed for players ages 7 and up.
TurnStyle Brands
Already available in Europe, Early Rider Balance Bikes are now available in the U.S. through TurnStyle Brands. A balance bike is a two-wheel bicycle that does not have pedals for children ages 2–5. Instead of training wheels, Balance Bikes operate under the notion that balance is the most critical element in learning to ride a bike. Without pedals, a child’s feet rest firmly on the ground, allowing the child to start, stop, and control speed at will. Initially the child will walk the bike around, but as he becomes more comfortable, he will run or scoot with it. Eventually, the child begins to glide, relying on his newfound ability to balance, according to the company.
Liberty Street Games
Bailout! The Game is a new board game from Liberty Street Games where the goal is to lose the most money to receive the bailout. Developed by mom Shari Sopourn, who was trying to explain the government bailout and T.A.R.P. to her kids, Bailout! combines comedic parody of the current financial crisis with strategic game play. Players will get to be CFO of a bank and must undermine the competition, endure the uncertainty of the stock market, avoid hostile takeovers, and deal with the instability of the housing market all with the goal of losing the most money to get the bailout. The game is for two to six players ages 12 and up.
MARCH 2010 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 37
EVENTS OF
CALENDAR
Industry-Related Trade Shows MAY
25–27
BookExpo America
bookexpoamerica.com
Jacob Javits Convention Center
New York City
6–8
Minneapolis Mart Gift & Acc. Show
mplsgiftmart.com
Minneapolis Mart Showroom
Minnetonka, MN
13–16
ASTRA Marketplace
astratoy.org
Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, RI
23–27
Origins Game Fair
originsgames.com
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, OH
25–27
JUNE 8–10
15–17
JULY
Sweets & Snacks Expo
allcandyexpo.com
Licensing International Expo
E3
licensingshow.com
e3expo.com
McCormick Place
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Los Angeles Convention Center
Chicago
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
15–18
Tokyo Toy Show
toys.or.jp
Tokyo Big Sight
Tokyo, Japan
22–24
OASIS Gift Show
oasis.org
University of Phoenix Stadium
Phoenix, AZ
Reed Gift Fairs
reedgiftfairs.com.au
22–25
AUGUST 7–11
13–17
Comic-Con International
comic-con.org
Minneapolis Mart Gift & Acc. Show
SEPTEMBER 17–19 25–26
mplsgiftmart.com
Hawaii Market Merchandise Expo douglastradeshows.com Indy Baby and Toddler Expo
bebepaluzza.com
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego
Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Center
Melbourne, Australia
Blaisdell Exhibition Center
Honolulu, HI
Minneapolis Mart Showroom
Merchandise Mart
Minnetonka, MN
Denver, CO
LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXPO 2010 JUNE 8–10; MANDALAY BAY CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS;
WWW.LICENSINGSHOW.COM
FALL TOY PREVIEW 2010 OCTOBER 5–8; DALLAS MARKET CENTER, DALLAS; WWW.TOYASSOCIATION.ORG
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR 2011 FEB. 13–16; JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NEW YORK CITY; 38 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 2010
WWW.TOYASSOCIATION.ORG
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The first stop for little engineers. Easy Rail Station
Just drop & go … wheels instantly align!
Or pull lots of cars through …
they align too!
GeoTrax Timbertown Railway
®
™
The Timbertown Railway is the perfect first train set for little engineers! The Easy-Rail Station lets kids get the trains on track all by themselves! Add durable Snap-Lock™ track and an easy-to-use remote control, and you’ve got the perfect first adventure into the world of GeoTrax — all aboard!
www.fisher-price.com Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., East Aurora, NY 14052 USA. ©2010 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ® and ™ designate U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc. LZR47052
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