Where's My Tail
(Infantino $12.99 Score:) Twenty-two-piece puzzles that develop matching skills as well as language. Front and back ends of 20 animals to fit together. 3 & up. Still top rated, Alphabet Boat Puzzle ($12.99 4): each boat has a letter in upper- and lowercase painted on the side and an object that starts with the sound of the letter; and I Spy My House Puzzle ($12.99 4), with objects in the frame to “spy” in the puzzle. This is more challenging. (800) 840-4916.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon Maze Board
(Small World Toys $24.99 Score:) This should have been a PLATINUM AWARD winner . . . it’s a color matching magnetic toy maze, where you pull small colored balls into the right color spot on the chameleon. Here’s the drawback: the magnet isn’t strong enough so it’s quite frustrating to move the balls about. Really disappointing. (800) 421-4153.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

Trapecolo
(HaPe $24.99 Score:) Create colorful patterns with 180 trapezoid shapes that fit into a large six-sided wooden frame. Patterns are shown in the brochure, but not full size, so these are more challenging. Marked 4–99, we’d say more like 6 & up. Making a design with these multicolored blocks takes visual perception as well as patience and problem-solving skills. For a simpler set, we still suggest a classic BLUE CHIP Parquetry Blocks Super Set (Learning Resources $26.95 5), thirty-two geometrically shaped tiles kids arrange on top of 20 colorful patterns. BUt this new set from HaPe is more challenging.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2007.