What’s so great about Sophie?

Whether they can afford her or not, every parent seems to know Sophie the Giraffe.  In fact, she is rated 4.5 out of 5  by the 226 people who thought she was worth reviewing on the toys r us website.  In her 50 years of existence, this award-winning toy sold over 30 million worldwide.

I have to admit, I was drawn to that serene plastic smile staring out at me from behind the packaging window.  Of course once I noticed the price, her smile looked a little more evil than serene.

However, I learned something recently that explains why a knock off dog chew toy can be sold for $22.  She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea Tree and it requires 14 manual operations in order to make her!  We’re not talking plastic mold and mass production here.  I feel a little better after learning that because of course I caved and bought into all the hype.

So what is it about this piece of squeaky rubber that’s so appealing anyway?  Is it her chique french origin?  Is it that she is spotted in the hands of celebrity babies?  After pondering this I decided to call in the expert.

Okay, I get it now.  It’s none of that superficial crap at all…Sophie provides hours of chewing and teething fun and doesn’t even complain when covered in mounds of drool.  She is easy to hold, easy to clean, and doesn’t weigh down the baby bag.  I especially like that she doesn’t put a dent in the hardwood every time she is tossed onto the floor.  Oh, and this toy is durable! Her head can be twisted about 30 times exorcist style and is still resilient enough to flash you that serene smile when she pops back to her original form in less than 1 second flat.  In fact, I like Sophie so much, check out the 227th review on the toys r us site.