Caillou Talking Doll – A Big Hit!

We recently were sent a talking Caillou doll to play with and review.  (And by “we”, I mean my five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, of course!)  We’ve seen “regular” (non-talking) Caillou toys in stores before, mostly at Babies R Us and Toys R Us, but the talking doll takes the cake.  Both of my kids (5 and 2) have long been fans of watching Caillou, and were thrilled when I surprised them with the doll.  Imagine they’re delight when they discovered he could TALK, too!  He’s got several cute phrases, including teaching about the seasons, counting to five, colors (and gives examples), naming his friends (and he includes his little sis – bonus points in my book!), naming animals, teachers “thank you” and “hello” in French, and thanks you for playing with him.

In addition to his phrases, he came with a cute little hat, which actually seems to STAY on his head.  I typically dread getting dolls or toys with multiple parts, for fear they’ll soon be lost in the toy abyss known as our home.  Also, the Caillou Talking Doll comes with his very own backpack, which really opens up and allows for (small) storage.

My daughter, who is apparently always thinking ahead, suggested they next come out with a talking Rosie doll.  You know, because she has red hair, and my daughter has red hair.  yep.  😉  My son enjoyed watching Caillou AND holding the Caillou Talking Doll at the same time – it really seemed to blow his mind.  He’d look at the screen, then down at the doll, then back at the screen, then down at the doll (making him talk), grin, grin, grin, giggle.  🙂

You can get your very own Caillou Talking Doll at retailers nationwide, including Toys R Us, and even online at Amazon.    The current MSRP is $34.99.

And because I’m feeling trivial: Did you know….?
* Caillou has consistently ranked as one of the top 10 television series for preschoolers nationwide since its premiere in 2000.Caillou has won multiple awards, including two Parent’s Choice Awards, in consecutive years.
* The Caillou Talking Doll is the first licensed product that will hit shelves as the Caillou brand leads into its 25th anniversary and celebrates 15 years on the air on PBS in 2015.
* Caillou apparel, books, home video and other merchandise are sold online and in mass and specialty retail stores nationwide.
* The show was based on a best-selling series of books about Caillou, first published in 1990.  Dr. Francoise Dolto, a French psychoanalyst famous for her work with babies and children, inspired the   founders of Chouette Publishing, based in Quebec part of French Canada, to create Caillou.  She popularized the concept that children are people in their own right and should be respected as such.