Quite a few of my friends, in addition to working full or part-time, are also mothers, and not just to older children. Thanks to better health care, many of them are in their 40s with babies and toddlers. Toy options reflect a sophisticated parenting demographic.
Part of the work as a children's book artist/author is to speak to each child's phase, stimulating different regions within the brain to activate and grow. Imaginative thinking through creative play is critical. "Touch-and-Play" books are for toddlers (often made with fuzzy, soft materials, like the the classic "Pat the Bunny" books) , picture books for bedtime reading with parents are geared towards the 3-6 year old range, then comes books with more text for older children, and finally the "YA" market, or young adult, made for teens. Coupled with our interest in books, comes anything that is geared towards learning and children. Many books come packaged with small toys, so they hold a special place for me, not just for their sense of fun, but for their effect upon children.
As the only girl in my family growing up, I received many types of baby dolls and stuffed animals as gifts, yet a select few have withstood the test of time: Raggedy Ann, and my beloved Paddington Doll, whose interest was nurtured through books about the lovable British Bear, named after the famed train station where he was found. My Bear doll went through some rough patches, too. Snowflake, our lovable furry Samoyed, mistook many of my animals as chew toys, as most dogs do, because the scale and textural similarities are too close to their playthings. 
After finding my toy covered in slobber, with the yellow hat ripped to shreds and the ears torn, I asked my mama to sew the injured ear back on while I watched, in case I needed to perform emergency surgery in the future. Luckily, Snowflake had not ingested those dolly parts. I even took Bear on a family vacation (since he was clearly so well travelled!) and then left him behind in the hotel room. Bereft, I beseeched my dad for weeks to call the hotel and see if anyone had found him. It left me devastated, such is the place that treasured toys have in children's hearts. I remember it so clearly to this day, like the fable of the sick boy and The Velveteen Rabbit.
Just as wintertime brings early darkness, so it can more strongly elicit a childs' dread at things that go bump in the night. Nighttime fears and bedtime tantrums can wear down the most capable parent. Night lights plugged into bedroom sockets, or story lamps projecting soothing images onto walls and ceilings can help, but nothing compares with touch to provide a child with a tactile sense of safety and security. Enter "Glowy", my favorite dolly for sleepy time. The Glow worm toy has the right combo of warmth and squish factor. You squeeze his tummy and his face lights up from within. It's innate good cheer is pretty hard to beat. I was pleased to find that this classic toy is still made, updated with different versions, colors, fabrics and sizes. Instead of battling through bedtime, creating bad sleeps for parent and child, which lead to a childhood of difficult nights, try a toy that's been designed by the best minds out there, in conjunction with the books we make for you, to help you both.Have a good nights' sleep.
