Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame: Celebrating the Greatest Toys of All Time!

This is a book worthy of the magnificent toys it describes -- just the kind of thing you want to find under the tree on Christmas morning. I used a Christmas-given gift certificate to buy my copy, and the only thing better would have been if I'd been able to curl up with it on Christmas day.Considered as a play object, the book is large, handsome, sturdy, and filled with lavish color illustrations.Indeed, the book is a nostalgia device: just try to read it without traveling back in time to the most idyllic play experiences of your youth. But it's more than that; it goes well beyond just being informative to being genuinely insightful.Thus, you learn not only the history of each toy, but *why* each toy became such a classic, and how it has captivated and exercised the minds of children through the years. As myself the father of a young girl, it was wonderful to learn more about what she is really doing when she plays.As the book says, a child loves his/her play not because it's easy but because it's hard. The child mind often learns best by coupling the physical action of the hands with the developing conceptual thinking of the conscious mind. No wonder so many children love the physical reinforcement of Play-Doh, silly putty, and alphabet blocks.Some of the toys described here were developed by adults with specific developmental agendas in mind -- like the erector set, the Lincoln logs and Candyland. Others become beloved because kids instinctively knew how to play with things adults themselves would not have seen as instructive playthings -- such as the cardboard box and the humble stick.I loved many of the chapters in this book, but I'll single out a few here for praise: The chapter on Candyland is deeply moving, as it was created during the era of children's polio, a way for housebound, quarantined children to find joy. I'll never look at that box cover -- with its kindly legend of "A sweet little game for sweet little folks" -- quite the same way again.I also especially loved the chapter on the jack-in-the-box, covering the history of superstitions, rhymes, and self-scaring devices that evolved into the irresistibly unsettling surprise of a toy.The chapter on the jump-rope is also wonderfully insightful -- reminding us of the rhyming chants and creative cooperative games engendered by the fertile minds of young girls, lending a creative aspect to the play that the object itself seems hardly capable of furnishing.Other chapters reminded me of the unique qualities of specific toys: for example, the induplicable aroma of Play-Doh, and the wondrously rugged functional detail of the Tonka truck.All hail the creators of these magnificent toys, and all they've done to enrich our lives. And spare a cheer for the creators of this terrific book as well.

I'm a 50-something, and a large fraction of these toys lived in my house growing up. A chance to re-live the memories of play time and learn something about the origin and history of "my toys" is proving to be really great fun. It's not the kind of book that you sit down and read cover to cover, but rather leave it out in a convenient place and pick it up to leaf through a few pages that catch your fancy at odd moments during the week. I guess that makes it the proverbial "coffee table" book, but one which comes with a much more personal connection than most.

This is an excellent reference for any toy collector. I have been collecting a variety of toys for awhile and I did not not that the toys I was collecting, were in the Toy Hall of Fame. I have conversations with places where I buy these toys, and they are amazed. I love this nice reference book. Check out one of these products inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame: Slinky Hall of Fame Toy Pack

As a school librarian, I've been putting together a collection of books for my 6th graders to use for a research paper on toys. This is a great addition! Very interesting and informative, with great pictures and information. I would recommend this for any collector or historian with an interest in classic toys and their histories, as well. A fascinating book!

Went to the National Toy Hall of Fame and just loved it and discovered that they didn't sell the book in the gift shop but was really glad to discover that Amazon.com had it. Purchased it for my husband and he really loves it! Very satisfied!

For anyone who would like a history lesson about your favorite things as a child listed in one book. Would recommend it to the those who are still a child at heart. It brings back so many wonderful memories of days gone by.

a knockout of a book - especially the essay on the empty box. You'll remember being a kid; that is a priceless feeling.

Great book there was so much information regarding toys My son in law loved it He is a toy collector.