Groovy Girl Mermaids
(Manhattan Toy $25 Score:)

 All three of these new adorable Groovy Girl Mermaids are done in fabric with glitzy velvety mermaid tails with sparkling or satin trims. Open the tail and abracadabra! Two legs! Fold the tail into itself. Choose Macy with Caucasian skin tone and orange pigtails, Maddie with tan skin tone with iridescent trims and lavender and blue hair, or MacKenna, also Caucasian with pink hair and polka-dots. Hard to choose a favorite, they are all so special. 3 & up.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Dressable Madeline
(Kids Preferred $30 Score:)

Welcome back, Madeline! From time to time this storybook character exits for a season or two and then happily resurfaces. This season she is back in a all her classic glory. This all fabric doll with her red hair, her bright yellow hat and blue velour coat, plaid school girl dress and black shoes is ready to be dressed and undressed. Oh, yes, she has her requisite appendix scar. Bring her home with one or more of the books or the many videos with Christopher Plummer narrating. Also new this season, a 70th Anniversary version of Madeline in a toile print dress. We think this version will be of more interest to collectors. We prefer the classic Madeline in coat and hat. 4 & up. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Search & Rescue GI Joe
(Hasbro $24.99 Score:) A departure from GI Joe's regular tour of duty, here he is a hero in the community. Comes in firefighter's uniform, with thermal imaging camera, air tank, and other rescue gear. This is a multicultural collection. 5 & up.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2003.

Milo Bear
(Gund $16 Score:) One of the winners of the Bear of the Year Award for 2003, Milo is honey colored with a sheer checked ribbon and a more pronounced snout. His arms and legs are floppy and he's ready to snuggle. Also see Huggins, Higgins and a very special terrier, Barkley, with a red banner aroufd his neck.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2003.

Cookie Baby Doll
(Gotz, Goetz $40 Score:) A life size (19") baldheaded, blue-eyed baby doll with soft body and vinyl face, hands, and feet. Comes in powder blue or pink clothes with small toy and pacifier (which should be removed if your child is still mouthing toys). We also recommend 13" Muffin ($25 ) with a soft beanbag body. Both will fit in PLATINUM AWARD-winning Jogging Stroller ($50 ). 3 & up. (800) 959-3655.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2004.

Lili
(Corolle $60 Score:) Older preschoolers will love the articulated and fashionable 17" Lili dolls. Choose the blond Rose, auburn Melodie, dark brunette Belle, and strawberry blond Flore. Each is dressed in a très jolie outfit that is totally “now.” These will appeal to slightly older girls as well. Think younger American Girl dolls. 4 & up. Also new, Chouquettes ($39.95 1⁄2)—adorable 14" girl dolls come with blond or brunette hair and hairbrush for age-typical play. (800) 668-4846.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2006.

Baby Annabell
(Zapf Creation $39.99 Score:) For the first time, Annabell cries real tears. After her bottle, she randomly yawns and falls asleep, or starts to cry. Our testers liked the novelty and parents liked the “off” switch option. Crying, babbling Love Me Chou Chou ($49.99 ) disappointed our testers, who thought she was “too heavy… it had a seam on her head—looked like she had a brain surgery.” Take heart, there is still a My First Annabell ($19.95 ) a 14" baby doll, Caucasian or African American, who does whatever your child imagines. This doll is mislabeled 1 & up, however; the pacifier is too small to be safe for toddlers. (877) 629-9273.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2006.

Hairstyling & Make-Up Head
(Corolle $29.95 Score:) If your child is into serious hair play, here’s a dream gift (although it might creep other family members). Corolle’s Hairstyling & Make-Up Head ($29.95 ) is just the head and shoulders of a beautiful blond doll with plenty of hair to brush and style. Kit also comes with make-up for the doll (of course). (800) 668-4846. If you’re looking for a more grown-up head of hair (with really bad chunky highlights), consider Barbie Fashion Fever Styling Head (Mattel $19.99 ). (800) 524-8697. (Editors’ note: We’re not big on hair play as a pre-occupation, but these styling heads might help encourage good grooming and reduce the common hassles over real hair care.)

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2006.

American Girl Emily
(American Girl $87 Score:) In the American Girl collection of dolls, each comes with a book that introduces girls to a bit of history through stories. Emily is in fact not an American girl, but an English girl, an auburn-haired beauty evacuated during WWII from London, to live with Molly and her family. Still top rated, any number of historic dolls from various times in our history. Last year’s winner was also an English girl, Elizabeth, from a prominent Loyalist family (and best friend of well-known Felicity). She’s 18" tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. PLATINUM AWARD 06. Still top rated, Nellie O’Malley (Samantha’s best friend). PLATINUM AWARD ’05. 7 & up. (800) 845-0005.

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

Tiptoes Touche Mediterranean Madge
(Manhattan Toy $19.99 Score:) The latest in one of our favorite lines of plush—they’re fun and funky, and come with plenty of attitude. You can select Madge the pig in her new polka dot bikini or her pink boa, or Gladys the cow with hot pink shoes. (800) 541-1345.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2007.