Hot Toys for 2012: Hallmark Interactive Story Buddy

Jingle the Husky Pup warmed our hearts from the time we saw his adorable, plush face smiling up at us from his Hallmark Interactive Story Buddy box.  But when he stared “talking” our hearts melted straight to mush.  This little cutie certainly found a permanent spot in our rural home!

You see, even though Jingle is super snuggly and treat to pal around with, one of his truly amazing features is the ability to join in when you are reading his interactive story.

Key sentences in the Interactive Story Buddy books trigger a response from the plush toy.  For example, Jingle barks, whines, and even sings snips of Christmas tunes when certain story lines from his book are read aloud to him or spoken from the story CD (included.)  

There are also downloadable Apps for iPad and iPhone that allow for interaction on-the-go.  It’s a magical experience that’s simply enchanting!

In addition to Jingle, there are plenty of other Story Buddies to enjoy including Jingle’s friend Belle, Scooby-Doo, and Christopher (a sleepy bear.) Each buddy comes with its own adventures to help kids learn important lessons, like overcoming the fear of going to school for the first time or making new friends.

Though my sons are a little older (10 and 12) that didn’t stop them from playing with and reading to Jingle over and over again.  We discovered that Jingle changes responses from one reading to the next, like cycling through multiple tunes when he “sings.”  This makes each time you read to him a different experience, which is very entertaining!

We’re really looking forward to letting my granddaughter play with Jingle and reading the stories to her on Christmas Eve. When she’s a little older (only 1 right now,) we’ll no doubt be gifting her Interactive Story Buddy sets to enjoy.  They are certainly a top toy choice for any little girl or boy (not mention, adults like me think they are super sweet, too!)

Jingle’s world, including free access to storytime, games and more, can be found online at Hallmark.com/Jingle

Disclosure:  Hallmark provided a sample for review purposes.  All thoughts and opinions are that of Rural Mom.