The "Toy" series of books are proving to be one of my favorite of all time. Toys Come
Home : being the early experiences of an intelligent stingray, a brave buffalo, and a brand-new someone called Plastic is the prequel to Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party. Emily Jenkins answers the age old question of what our toys do while we are not there. Toys Come Home tells the back story of how StingRay, Lumphy, and Plastic come to live with the "Little Girl" (whose name we never learn). It also answers many questions, like what happened to One Eared Sheep's other ear? Told from the point of view of the toys, we learn about humans and our behavior, some of which is very funny and odd to the toys. At the heart of all the books however, is the love of the toys for the girl and for each other. Come check out any of the books in this series from the library!
School Library Journal (October 1, 2011)
In this follow-up to Toys Go Out (2006) and Toy Dance Party (2008, both Random), readers discover how the toys came to live with the Girl. StingRay arrives as a birthday gift and soon after meets Bobby Dot, a disagreeable stuffed walrus that makes her feel unwelcome. When the Girl becomes ill and vomits on him, Bobby Dot is thoroughly disgusted while StingRay feels it would be an honor to be "puked on" by the Girl. (The author devotes a whole chapter to this episode titled, "You Can Puke on Me.") An attempt to channel a common childhood anxiety about the dark through the toys may have adults answering some questions. StingRay loses her way in the dark (basement) and hears a scary rumbling noise (the clothes dryer); she imagines ghosts that "eat marine animals" or take them and make them slaves or an "axe murderer" who jumps around chopping things. The demise of the unpleasant Bobby Dot (he is accidently shredded in the dryer after the vomit incident) is taken in stride by most of the toys in the Girl's room, but StingRay is thoughtful about how quickly a life can be over. How Sheep came to lose her ear and the arrival of Lumphy and Plastic are also addressed in this story that shines with a message about the value of friendship.
