Recommended for grades Kindergarten-Grade 3
Toys Go Out is the enchanting and completely charming story of the secret lives of the nursery. Toys come to life at night and have worries and concerns just like children do. They can also be jealous of each other and the attention and love each one gets, which makes it a great book to get for siblings.
The cast of characters is wonderful. There’s Lumphy the Buffalo, who is afraid of taking a bath in the washing machine but finds it’s not so bad after all. Then there is sweet and gentle Plastic, who isn’t quite sure of what he is and feels terribly left out until he finds out just exactly what he is. (I won’t tell you; read the book.) Lastly, there is Stingray who thinks he’s a real stingray the day he finds himself in the bathtub. Each belongs to Little Girl and they all love her dearly and want to be her favorite.
The story is lovely and each chapter is a separate but connected adventure in the life of these toys. Any child who has ever loved one of her toys will love this book, as will adults. The suggested age is kindergarten to grade 3, but older children will find pleasure in it also. My granddaughter Jasmine, who is four, loves this book to death and laughs aloud at certain parts. Her one year old little brother loves it too, and particularly enjoys pointing to the drawings.
The illustrations are just as enchanting as the story and are very expressive. Toys Go Out makes me think of the Velveteen Rabbit, although these toys definitely do not get forgotten. It just has that same sense of wonder and magic. Highly recommended!
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