(Michael Neugebauer $11.99) Who says woof woof? Who says Me-Ow? Each page of this cleverly designed cardboard book gives an animal sound....

(Manhattan Toy $17) Dressed in a satiny blue gown with polka-dotted sheer overskirt, 14" fabric doll, Gigi has lavender velour hair...

(Manhattan Toy $24, books $13.99 each ) Ready for the great outdoors, Lemon the Bear is a stout 16" tall and wears rugged overalls and...

(Hape $49.99) One little squirrel races down the side of this tippy roadway that’s attached to a painted wooden tree. The little car...

(Petit Collage $30.) A novel set of five stacking blocks with three wooden play figures that can peek out of the windows and doors that...

(Petit Collage $12 each) Perfect for crawling babies, this beech wood push along toy is smooth to the touch and fits baby’s little hands....

(Corolle $67 each) Louise is an armful, a big 14-inch soft-bodied baby doll with blue eyes that open and close and ideal for Big Sister...

(Corolle $39.99) A charming multi-ethnic doll with a 12” soft bean-filled body that makes her posable. Her brown eyes open and close and...

(LEGO $28.99) Many Duplo sets are packaged with one project to build. That can be fun, but for beginners, we prefer a more open-ended set...

(Fisher-Price $22.99) For toddlers, who generally love big trucks, this Mega Bloks Race Rig is sure to be a winning choice. The truck...