REVIEW: WorryWoo Monsters – Nola and Rue

Background

The WorryWoo Monsters come straight from the mind of the talented artist/author Andi Green. With a lineup of six unique characters, Andi has created four plush toys (two more to come). She also has written and illustrated two books. Each book focuses on one of the characters, and the characters are each based on (and exhibit) a different, specific emotion.

For purposes of this review (the first in a two part series), we’ll be looking at Nola and Rue.

Nola, the cuddly green Monster of Loneliness lives in a world of sunny skies and beautiful landscapes, but she’s missing on thing…a friend.

Rue, the irresistible Monster of Insecurity hides behind flowers because he thinks he’s different.

Packaging

While each plush may or may not be packaged in a plastic bag, each one does include an informational tag. That tag includes a drawing on one of the inside panels, while the other contains a short blurb about the character.

The Figures

Nola, the first WorryWoo Monster to be released, is approximately 11" in height. The large, green, dragon-like character is known as The Monster of Loneliness.

The plush has beans in its bottom, so that it can sit down without toppling over. The pink hair on Nola’s head, and at the end of her tail, appears to be “fun fur” yarn. That tail is actually sewn to the body in one spot. And the eyes are an embroidered iris and pupil on a plastic white background.

Rue, The Monster of Insecurity, is approximately 11" tall. The primarily yellow character features real-feeling hair as well as a set of super-soft tan wings. Like the Nola plush, Rue has little black spots (actual thread) as well as a little bellybutton (lint not included).

Our Opinion

At first, one would see these characters as well as picture books and think that they are only for kids. While kids will obviously appreciate the fun and inspirational stories, collectors will love these unique characters.

Since we all appreciate a good backstory, to have a full book on each of these plushies is a definite plus. And the artwork in both The Lonely Little Monster (67 pages) as well as The Nose That Didn’t Fit (88 pages) is hand illustrated using pen, ink and watercolor. It gives for a truly unique look that you won’t see in many children's books.

Both of these characters look similar to, although not exactly the same as, their illustrated counterparts. With such a stylized look in the books, it would have been very difficult to pull that off in plush form.

Each plush is stuffed on the solid side. This is to maintain their forms. The stitching on both Nola and Rue is complex, and yet well done. The material used on Rue’s wings and hair reiterate that these are quality pieces.

Personally, we prefer Rue slightly more than Nola. However, if you’re looking for an entertaining story with amazing illustrations, check out both of these storybooks…and pick up the plushies.

You can pick one up at the following:

WorryWoo Shop: