I love that toy manufacturers have figured out the circle of life with their characters and toys. They know that parents love the throwbacks – we drool over Classic Pooh for our newborn and squeal when we see My Little Pony on the shelves.
(I’m not one for the characters in general, but I do love the toys of my childhood. I’m not a huge fan of the distorted ‘modernizations’ of them, though. Strawberry Shortcake should be wearing an oversized bonnet and ruffly apron, not jeans and striped t-shirt.)
One character I loved as a girl was Madeline. This is mostly because she’s a character from books, not television, and with a mom who’s a reading teacher, well, let’s just say we did a lot of reading at my house.
And, the reason I was introduced to Madeline is because my mother was a fan of Madeline as a girl.
So anyway, this year is Madeline’s 70th Anniversary. 70! The French-speaking mischievous little girl with the bright red hair is 70. She hasn’t aged a bit.
I was just sent the original Madeline book and a plush talking Madeline doll from Kids Preferred, to help celebrate the anniversary. Just in time too – that Baby Says Peekaboo book has me about to pull out my eyelashes.
A new book! With a plot! And it rhymes so it’s kinda fun to read!
Piper is too young to appreciate the drawings, but they’re really neat – and there’s a little key in the book that gives the name of each location where the girls are.
Twelve little girls in two straight lines! (Spoiler alert) Then poor little Madeline’s appendix ruptures and oh! She’s 
rushed to the hospital where of course she receives the best of care and spends, what, like ten full days recovering in the hospital? I of course had to explain to Piper that nowadays, they cut you open and send you packin’, because insurance doesn’t pay for time spent reading books in bed and the hospital needs to fill the bed with someone who can pay. All good lessons in the state of healthcare in America, I think. Timely, no?
I digress.
The plush doll has a button on each hand and says five phrases. One had is English, the other hand is French. It’s a cute voice and a cute doll. Piper does her little ‘squish-it-up-while-lying-full-body-on-top-of-it’ thing that she does with all of her plush toys and she generally likes the doll. I’m just happy I can introduce her to a character from my childhood and teach her about the necessity of socialized medicine with her bedtime reading.
You can pick up the Soft Talking Madeline doll at any Toys-R-Us store for $24.99, so it’d make a great holiday gift for a little girl in your world (without being all princessy – which is another reason I’m a fan.) Get the original book along with it if you want to teach your daughter all about healthcare.
Free Stuff Alert!
Kids Preferred is offering one lucky reader a Soft Talking Madeline doll of your very own!
To enter, simply:
- Comment on this post with your favorite toy from your childhood that they’re bringing back for your kids now.
For additional entries:
- Let us know your favorite Madeline memory.
- Become a Google Friend of YMR. Comment to let us know.
- Follow @YourMamaReviews on Twitter. Comment to let us know with your Twitter name.
- Tweet, blog or update your Facebook status with a link to this post. Comment with a link to let us know.
Contest is open to US residents ONLY. You must leave a valid email address to enter. Contest ends November 12, 2009 at 12 p.m. Eastern. A total of five entries are possible. Your entries must follow the rules as stated above or your post will be deleted.
About the author: One day, Andi hopes to teach the men in her life that they, too, can pick things up and put them away after they’ve used them. Read more from this author.
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Okay, my favorite toy from childhood was my baby doll. A vogue baby doll that I got for my first birthday and that I still have safely in my closet.
My favorite toy was Strawberry Shortcake & they have way more play sets for her now.
My favorite Madeline memory was watching my mom read the book to my daughter for the 1st time.
I follow your blog.
i had a doll that was very stiff had straw like hair but i loved it mverno@roadrunner.com
One of my favorite toys when I was young was Drowsy. She was my first doll and I adored her!
I have many memories of Madeline – it’s my (middle) name, so I had a great fondness for all things Madeline!
Follow on Twitter @spitfyr323
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/spitfyr323/status/5460344074
Mr. Potatohead, Creepy Crawlers Thing Maker, Easy Bake Ovens.
I had a cabbage patch named dee dee i loved. I am so glad they are making them again.
I follow your blog.
I follow u on twitter. 1amypugmire
tweeted
http://twitter.com/1amypugmire/status/5460833196
I was so happy to see the socky monkey when I went into Target today!
One of my favorites was the smurf figurines. I see that they are now coming back. Thanks so much.
I’m a google friend. Thanks again.
I am a fan of Madeline from my childhood. I don’t remember ever having any Care Bear or My Little Pony stuff. I still have a few of my Madeline dolls.
Wagons like the Red Radio Flyer metal wagons are starting a come back lately.
I’m a YMR Google friend.
I loved my sit and spin!
My mom would read me this book whenever I was sick!
google friend!
I loved my mrs beasley
They already brought back the Puppy Surprise, though, honestly, the series from *my* childhood were much better. :P
I used to watch the Madeline cartoon, and I found it really charming. The episode I recall most is the one where the girls lost their dog, and they went around singing, “Have you seen our dog?”
Cabbage Patch Kids!
Have a great day!
I loved all of my Strawberry Shortcake stuff and my Barbies!!
I took good care of my set of My Little Ponies. My daughter now plays with them and has added a few new ones of her own to the collection. (We’re also big Madeline fans, here!)
google friend
follow on twitter (iambrimful)
I’d love to enter this contest
I don’t see anything they’re bringing back from my childhood. Barbie dolls were the only thing I had back then that they still have now except that I don’t like the new faces on them now.
I like the fact that Care Bears have come back as well as Cabbage Patch Dolls
My favorite Madeline memory would be watching it with my daughter an reading her the books when she was little,now its her kids turn
I follow you via google friend
I Follow @YourMamaReviews on Twitter
Barbie was my favorite-she has never gone out of fashion-just updated!
smchester at gmail dot com
I’m a Google friend!
smchester at gmail dot com
I posted on facebook;Vickie Couturier http://yourmamareviews.com/2009/11/your-mama-waxes-nostalgic-for-madeline/
I’m following on Twitter as ptowngirl.
smchester at gmail dot com
I tweeted;http://twitter.com/vickiecouturier/status/5484038774
I would have to say My Little Pony – it was really the only “brand” toy I had, but WOW did I go crazy for them! I even had the pink palace!
I remember going through boxes of my stuff in my parents’ attic before moving out after college and finding Madeleine among my childhood books, and packing it away for my future kids – I now have a 5 month old daughter and can’t wait to read her all my favorite books.
I have to admit that I got a little bit more excited than my two-year old by the my little pony in the happy meal the other day… We love Madeline and have read all the books. Juliet would love this doll.
I always liked to play Mr Patato Head, so glad to see him back!
lgrieser(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
I loved my cabbage patch doll, and I’m glad to see that little girls still love them today.
I loved my little pony when I was a kid
I liked the love Madeline movie
follow on google
folllow on twitter (GabbyLowe)
http://twitter.com/GabbyLowe/status/5495966662
tweeted
My daughter LOVES the Madeline books. Thanks for the chance. mogrill@comcast.net
I think Cabbage Patch kids has to be one of my favorite dolls… I just bought one for my little cousin last Christmas at BJs. Thanks!
Raggedy Ann and Andy
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
I follow on twitter: moziesme
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
I’m a friend on Google Connect! (Meredith Hellen)
Following on Twitter (Merri617)!
I’m a Google friend…
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
My favorite Madeline memory is just the nights my mom, twin sister and I spent… she’d put us to bed and read to us until we fell asleep.
My favorite toy as a child were my Brady Bunch paper dolls.
I follow on twitter @007blond.
I also follow on Google Friends.
My Granddaughter introduce me to Madeline. She brought me a book about Madeline and got in my lap for me to read to her.
Back in the day we had the Barbie doll…and I cherished mine.
I want the Rubik Cube Touch. I loved the Rubik cube!
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
My Mom read the Madeline books to me.
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
new follower
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
following on Twitter – sumrthyme
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
I love that my daughter loves to play with my little pony. She even has one that use to be mine when I was her age!
My Little Pony! I used to play with those all the time when I was little. My little niece looks just like Madeline so I’m sure she’d love this!
Strawberry Shortcake!
Tweeted
http://twitter.com/halfbluesky/status/5549229278
Following @halfbluesky
Following with google FC
My favorite Madeline memory is watching the cartoon version with my niece when she was tiny, then play-acting Madeline afterward
My favorite childhood toy that has made a comback was my Strawberry Shortcake Dolls.
Now my girls have the originals and the new set.
Thank you so much for the chance to win.
jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com
I am following via Google Friends Connect.
jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com
I am following via Twitter as jlsc123.
jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com
I loved my blocks… simple hardwood, unpainted ones. It’s nice to see some quality sets being offered out there.
I always played with my Ginny Doll and was so surprised to see it offered in a catalog, I hope she comes back in a big way.
I posted your giveaway on my Facebook page Carol P Dziuba http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=752204468&ref=nf
Tweeted http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/5574133648
I follow on Twitter cdziuba
Blogged http://ceeceeblogger.blogspot.com/2009/11/your-mama-reviews-kids-preferred.html
Google Friend
Favorite Madeline memory is when my sister and I were enjoying being read the book by my aunt.
Curious George Monkey, I had one when I was younger and they are coming back
Favorite memory is reading the book to my younger sisters
google friend follower
following on twitter as karenmed409
shared on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/people/Karen-Medlin/1259438473#/profile.php?id=1259438473
tweet http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/5580594406
Favorite toy- Barbies and Ponies which have never died! ☺
My Little Ponies. I loved them as a child and they are nowmy daughters favorite. she loves Pinkie Pie!
I loved fairies when I was little ~ though I had always made my barbies into fairies…and now they make fairies you can buy.
I loved my Strawberry Shortcake toys.
They have brought back Strawberry shortcake from my past :)
Following on twitter as happeegirl
Tweet http://twitter.com/happeegirl/statuses/5607754433
I absolutely loved my Strawberry Shortcakes dolls! Now that I am pregnant with a girl(after having 5 boys) I can’t wait to share these with my daughter!
I TOTALLY agree with everything you said here. For me it was My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop.. both of which look… very strange now. Madeline is still cute, but I’ll always love the Bemelmans renditions the best. I won’t lie.. I have some Madeline items in my own personal collection still!
favorite Madeline memory was probably reading Madeline and The Bad Hat for the first time. I had never read a story that had such a message of kindness for animals, even at a young age I was extremely impressed by it. Still a huge fan of that story.
became a google friend
following on twitter (user:woozlewozzle)
My fav. was my Ragedy Ann doll.
I loved Strawberry Shortcake and now my daughter enjoys Strawberry too!
I really enjoyed Lite Brite as a child, and now it’s available for my children too. We also love Madeline.
my kids 29 &31 yrs old..used to have madeline,smurfs,strawberry shortcake,my little pony..and it seems that all those are coming back
I am gonna say the cabbage patch doll, but they came back with that awhile ago. I love seeing the toys from when I was a child and the cartoons as well. My daughter can not watch what we watched as kids.
We love Madeline in thias house.
I’m thrilled to see more Care Bears and My Little Pony stuff out – still waiting on the resurrection of the Shirt Tales though. ;)
I follow YMR on Twitter! (@psychotichouse)
I’m glad to see Strawberry Shortcake back!
I’m a Google Friend.
Cabbage Patch Kids
I’m following you on Twitter. (My Twitter name is @ThriftyJinxy)
tweeted http://twitter.com/ThriftyJinxy/status/5639783427
I loved Cabbage Patch Kids, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony and so many other toys from my childhood that are still being made.
Care Bears is my blast from the past. It’s so cute too that they’re all still the same! Thanks.
My favorite Madeline memory is with the “Chapeau” (I think that’s what it’s called….the hat”. Thanks.
Follower on GFC. Thanks.
Strawberry Shortcake! Thanks for the contest!
My favorite was a beautiful cloth doll that my Aunt made for me. I have a son and have it tucked safely away in case he gives me a grand daughter one day.
I forgot to add in my previous post that my handmade doll isn’t on the market but I do see many dolls that are hand made.
My favorite Madeline memory was when the movie first came out and gave her a voice. I was disappointed since it wasn’t the voice that I had in my mind for all of those years.
Google friend.
Cabbage Patch kids for sure!
digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net
The only thing I can think of is Barbies as that is all I played with! Then my daughter’s played with them~now my granddaughter’s have a stash too!
deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com
My favorite Madeline Memory~
Years ago my granddaughter dressed up as Madeline for Halloween~She looked so cute with the wig on :) Well~after they went out to get candy my Dad was watching TV and he put on that Hat and Wig~It was too funny and I am glad that we took pictures as he has passed on.Thanks for the chance to win :)
I am a new Google Friend
Deb K
I follow you on Twitter
Deb55106
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/Deb55106/statuses/5646000574
I can’t think of one of my favorite toys that they are bringing back, thats such a hard one! I LOVED dolls though! Madeline is such a good character, I read my daughter Madeline in London a lot!
The Barbie Doll was my favorite. They have brought back the Barbie Anniversary doll.
I loved the Care Bear animals. Thank you
I loved Cabbage patch Dolls, and they have those now. Thanks!
I follow your blog! mom2anutball
I follow you on twitter! mom2anutball
I loved care bears and Strawberry Shortcake.
Google friend
Cabage Patch dolls.
It’s nice to see My Little Pony coming back.
I still have my very first barbie and curious george. They have always been my favorite. Thank you for the opportunity to win this.
My favorite is Risk, now they have a classic edition
I had a stuffed sock monkey that my mother made when I was a kid. The other day I saw some in the store just like the one my mother made. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
Strawberry Shortcake stuff and My little ponies
Loved my sock monkey
I guess it would be My Little Ponys!
My favorite memory is reading the Madeline books with my daughter.
follow your blog
Follow @YourMamaReviews on Twitter as kngmckellar
http://twitter.com/kngmckellar/status/5658348241
tweeted
My favorite toys were books, and they are always bringing those back! ;) I also loved my Mrs. Beasley doll. Are those back now?
I actually just read Madelaine for the first time recently! I keep meaning to post a review of it on my blog.
The phone that makes ringing noises that is a rotary phone. I ended up getting one for my kids and they love it.
Barbie a real classic always!
electricisland(at)gmail.com
Following on Twitter (id- electricisland) &
Cabbage Patch Kids!
I loved the cabbage patch dolls and I recently saw a brand new one. I was shocked! I remember my mom standing in line to get one for my older sister when they were in short supply one Christmas. How exciting they’re back!
I didn’t read the Madeline books when I was a girl but I remember reading them for the young girl I was a nanny for. She absolutely adored them.
I’m a friend on google friend connect
I am following you on twitter (lstixrud)
Tweet http://twitter.com/Lstixrud/status/5670249812
I loved the Big Wheel *yes, I was kind of a tomboy*
I follow you on Twitter (frugalqponmom)