Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stringray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic

Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stringray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic (Toys Go Out #1)

Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky

Schwartz & Wade, 2006

$16.95, Hardcover

978-0375836046

March 4^th, 2012

Junior Library Guild Selection, Book of the Month Club Selection, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award

Genre: Fantasy

Age: 7+

Description: Six short interconnected stories tell tales of the lives of a little girl’s best friends—her three favorite toys, Stingray, Lumphy, and Plastic. Stories include a scary ride in a backpack for the three friends, Plastic trying to figure out where her kind comes from, Lumphy hoping to get a bath in the washer, Plastic going to the beach, Lumphy tying to get up into bed with Stingray, and the three stuffed animals trying to find the best present for the little girl’s seventh birthday.

Opinion: This is a classic in the making. I love how Plastic’s “type” is well hidden until the chapter where she tries to figure out what she is (one thinks maybe she’s a doll but she turns out to be a ball). Other characters have anthropomorphic features too—Frank the washing machine, Sheep who has one ear, the toy mice, Tuk-Tuk the yellow bath towel. Each character has its own personality that is well drawn—Stingray likes to pretend to know everything, Plastic is naïve, and Lumphy wants to be a brave and tough buffalo. The illustrations are sweet and give a homey, safe feel to the story. This book will get kids to wonder what their favorite toys do at night after they have gone to bed.