The Best Toys of 2006 – Infant & Toddler

My First Story Reader

Manufacturer: Publications International
Ages: 6 months - 3 years
Suggested Retail Price: $20

What it is
My First Story Reader brings popular stories and characters to life for kids too young to read by combining colorful graphics and pages with a narrated story. As each page is turned the narrator reads the text accompanied by music and sounds.

Children can easily select from the Story Reader's two different play patterns. The first, prompts the child to read along with the narrator while the second option has the narrator asking questions about the images on each page. To answer, the child selects from one of three buttons that correspond with shapes and colors that answer the questions.

Why it's fun
Children love reading stories and being read to, making this item a hit. It's great for kids to play with alone or to interact with parents.

Who's going to love it
Little kids who want the experience of "grown-up" books will be charmed and entertained by this product.

My First Story Reader has been designed with young children in mind and features a durable yet lightweight, clamshell-style unit with an easy-grip handle that won't pinch little fingers when closed.

What to be aware of
My First Story Reader comes packaged with three interchangeable Baby Einstein rhyming story/songbooks: "Discover Colors," "Discover Music" and "Discover the Sky." Additional three-book refill packages featuring Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, and Thomas the Tank Engine are also available for about $16 each.

If you use the product with a headphone, pay close attention to the volume setting, and experts recommend that young children use headphones that fit on top of rather than inside the ears.