Background
Recently, the Zoobies folks announced the addition of Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little Miss characters to their collection of plush/pillow/blanket Zoobies. Currently a part of their Storytime Collection, Mr. Happy and Little Miss Sunshine are the first two characters to be given the Zoobies treatment.
Mr. Happy, bright, yellow, and all the way from Happyland, is sure to be the friendliest character your child will ever meet. From his big, warm smile, to his loveable outstretched arms, making people happy is what his job is all about.
Little Miss Sunshine, the giggly, perky girl with a love for cheering others up, will effortlessly brighten your child's day. From her cute braided pig tails to her adorable freckles and friendly smile, Little Miss Sunshine can warm up even the coldest of days.
The Facts
Little Miss Sunshine and Mr. Happy
Series: Mr. Men and Little Miss Zoobies
Manufacturer: Zoobies
Artist: Roger Hargeaves
Material: Plush (polyester) with microbead stuffed head
Dimensions: 16” tall
Accessories: 53”x34” soft coral fleece blanket inside
Tag
The tags on the Mr. Happy and Little Miss Sunshine plushies are fairly similar. Inside, there are photographs of the front and back of the plush as well the internal blanket. But the best part of the tag is the front, where you see the iconic (illustrated) characters from the late Roger Hargreaves.
Our Opinion
I grew up reading the Mr. Men and Little Miss books. I'm pretty sure most children of the 70's and 80's had at least a few of the small, square-shaped books. The appeal was the simple drawings and the focus on the character's singular personality trait. Shhh...I still have a few on the bookshelf.
A few months back, I was searching to see if any company had created a vinyl toy line based on Roger Hargreaves' creations. Unfortunately, I didn't come across much of anything. Then, lo and behold, Zoobies announced that they were releasing a number of new characters and lines based on children's story books...and a pair of them looked somewhat familiar. Mr. Happy and Little Miss Sunshine – two of the more recognizable characters - were the two chosen from the Mr. Men and Little Miss series.
Zoobies are three in one plushies – a toy, a pillow and a blanket. On both of these, there is a zipper on the bottom of the plush. You open that up to unveil a yellow blanket that makes up part of the stuffing. The blanket can be left attached to the plush or unzipped to give you a regular ol' blankie. And that blanket? Amazing! It features just under 50 different Mr. Men and Little Miss illustrated characters reprinted on the front.
Pillow-wise, it will definitely work. I was going to test out taking a nap for this review, but it could be difficult getting the wife to buy that explanation. IT's definitely soft enough (and large enough) to act as a pillow for an adult or child.
They did a pretty good job bringing these characters from illustration to plush. While Mr. Happy has always looked like a generic smiley face, Little Miss Sunshine is where the Zoobies really show off what this line can be. You really get the feeling that those embroidered black effects mimic the lines drawn by Hargeaves.
OVERALL: I have always been a little “eh” on the Zoobies animal line. They're great for kids, but probably don't appeal to many collectors. However, they've started releasing Zoobies based on various licenses...giving collectors some familiar faces.
I love that they chose the Mr. Men and Little Miss license. Roger Hargreaves created so many amazing characters (and I hope the Zoobies don't stop at just these two) that have been underutilized in the toy world. If you're a fan...how could you not pick up one of these? You get a plush and a full-size Mr. Men and Little Miss themed blanket for $35.00.
You can pick one up at the following:
Zoobies.com: $35.00 each
Little Miss Sunshine and Mr. Happy Zoobies Grades
Plush Quality: 8/10
Stitching: 8/10
Material: 8/10
Softness: 7/10
Packaging/Tag: 7/10
Cuteness: 9/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Little Miss Sunshine: 9.3/10
Mr. Happy: 9.2/10
