Just in time for the holiday shopping season, The World of Eric Carle has been awarded several Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards!! The Joester Loria Group worked closely with both the brand and licensee Kids Preferred, a leading manufacturer of plush toys and gifts, on award-winning product that brings Eric Carle's work off the pages of his popular books.
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards are prestigious honors chosen by noted experts in child development, children's literature and education and are further tested by real kids nationwide. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio was founded in 1989, by the mother/daughter team of child development experts Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim, as the only independent consumer review of children’s media. The Oppenheims use several factors when evaluating toys including kid tester feedback, educational and play value and safety and age appropriateness.
This year, three World of Eric Carle toys from Kids Preferred received various Oppenheim honors. The World of Eric Carle Elephant Developmental Toy received the Platinum Award, which is awarded to the most innovative and engaging new products of the year. Additionally, The World of Eric Carle Developmental Bear Toy received both the Gold Seal Award and a SNAP Award. Oppenheim’s Gold Seal Award is given to new toys that enhance the lives of children; while the SNAP Awards are given to toys that can be used by or easily adapted for children with special needs. The Eric Carle Critter Keeper also received a Gold Seal Award and a SNAP Award.
These award-winning toys are part of the brand licensing program The Joester Loria Group has developed for this iconic publishing franchise. The World of Eric Carle licensing program now includes more than 135 licensees and promotional partners and is available in more than 35,000 retail doors in more than 15 countries around the world.