Average Price: $15.00
Official URLs: http://www.shiningstars.com
http://www.russberrie.com/
Rating:

If you have a child that is taking dance lessons then you are undoubtedly in the process of preparing for a dance recital this spring. Cute costumes, dress rehearsals, stage fright, and eventually the big night where your little one gets up on stage and dances her heart out.

RUSS has come out with the perfect gift to give your little ballerina to break the pre-dance jitters or to reward a beautiful performance. The shining stars Ballerina Bichon is a fluffy soft white stuffed dog in a pink tutu with a twist. Each “Shining Star” toy from Russ comes with the ability to name your own star through the International Star Registry of Illinois, and to participate in an online environment.

QUALITY/CONSTRUCTION

Russ is an established maker of plush toys that is well known for the quality of its toys. If you are familiar with the square red “RUSS Make someone happy” logo then you are familiar with the quality of this toy.

For those not familiar with RUSS plush toys, this toy is of very nice quality. The stitching on the body is very tight, the materials are obviously chosen for their softness and the eyes and nose are smooth and not rough to the touch. Even the tulle skirt on the tutu and the shoulder ruffles are soft netting rather than harsher fabric which is usually chosen for toys. The satin parts of the costume are very soft and silky. The expression on the Bichon’s face is charming with a slight smile and bright eyes. Children can easily read their own emotions into the face of this empathetic little puppy and see anything from their own timid nervousness to happy contentment.

TOY SAFETY

This toy conforms with toy safety regulations and is surface washable and contains inner bagged PE plastic pellets. The nose and eyes are very well attached and unlikely to pose a choking hazard. The roses on the tutu and perhaps the bows may come loose and could be a choking hazard so this toy probably isn’t ideal for a child under 3 years old unless under adult supervision.

ONLINE INTERACTIVITY

When you have one or more “Shining Star Pals”, you can access a child-safe website that has a wide range of activities that both younger and older children will love. First, you get to name your own star, then once you have named your star and set up your account, you have access to a surprisingly dense online world full of games, safe chat (see section on online safety below), movies and music and a whole lot of fun activities. The games include renditions of a pacman-style game and other game classics as well as some newer games that I haven’t seen before. The level of difficulty varies but almost any child over 4 can find something that appeals to them.

ONLINE SAFETY

The internet interactivity is something that the parent can choose to remove from the toy, or allow their child access to. ShiningStars.com plans on offering parental controls but this section of the site is not yet active.

However, the online community seems very safe. “Chat” and “Instant Messaging” on this site is done through lists of pre-defined phrases such as those at the left. There is no place to type in any customized messages. This prevents your child from sharing or accessing personal or inappropriate information. Parental supervision is probably still a good idea as children are notorious for finding ways to circumvent things.

STAR REGISTRY

One truly unique feature of the Shining Star Pals is the ability to register and name your own star. There are so many ways in which this can be an absolutely wonderful and special experience for your child. A star can be registered in the memory of a loved one and the stuffed animal can be a comfort to the child that is missing that special person or pet. A star can be registered in the child’s own name and they can have their special place in the night sky. In the case of the Ballerina Bichon, it would be fun for the child to name the star after themselves as a forever reminder of their recital.

One thing to be aware of is that star registries are not official entities, and the star names are not what will be used when the star is referenced by astronomers and different star registries may pop up that name the same star many different things. The particular star registry that Russ has partnered with is the International Star Registry of Illinois which has been operating since 1979 and which is well established. The International Star Registry of Illinois regularly publishes a book called “Your Place in the Cosmos” with the name and coordinates of the stars that have been registered. This book is registered in the United States Copyright Office. Naming a star has wonderful symbolic value, especially to a child and the fact that the star will not officially be referenced by the name you choose should not take away from the experience.

The “Star registry” aspect of this toy provides it with an unusual educational value for a plush toy. Registering a star is an opportunity to learn a bit about astronomy, constellations and the Universe. The best thing is that you can tailor it to the age and interest level of your child. A younger child may just like looking at the stars and knowing that there is one out there that they named. An older child may want to visit an observatory to see if they can pick out their star in the night sky with a powerful telescope.

CHARITABLE ASPECT

While interacting in the StarPals universe or when the child adds a new Star Pal to their account, they get a variety of “points”. The child has the opportunity to use these points to gain access to movies and music and other parts of the online community, or they can donate some or all of the points to the Starlight Starbright charity for children who have been diagnosed with serious illness. The child gets to choose how many of their points to donate, and how many to use for additional entertainment.

ENTERTAINMENT/EDUCATIONAL VALUE

The ballerina costume of this puppy will make it appealing to any little girl that plays with dolls as she will love making it dance across imaginary stages and dream about recitals of the past and future. Older children will still love the way it looks on their dresser, or cuddling with it at night.

The Star Registry and online interactivity add both educational and entertainment value to this toy, and have been discussed above.

The online elements of this toy aren’t quite as sophisticated as some of the better-known competitors, but it is rapidly growing and with the backing of Russ Berrie I would be surprised if the Shining Stars site didn’t end up being very well developed.

BOTTOM LINE

This toy is well-made, terribly cute and cuddly. The internet activities and star registry add a unique aspect to the toy that is sure to be a big hit with your little one. I highly recommend that you buy the Ballerina Bichon for your little girl this recital season. It will be a permanent reminder of a magical time in her life, and will likely be valued well into adulthood.