Popular Children’s Books and Their Plush Toys

When certain children’s stories were written about individual teddy bears, such as Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, Rupert Bear and other fictitious characters, they became very popular. In fact they were so popular and loved by all, movie makers decided to take children's books and make them into movies, or shows.

Toymakers realised, they had another form of merchandise which they could make, which had great potential. Not just hard toys, but soft plush toys, or stuffed toys. They knew that the popularity of the toys would make them very easy to sell. Thus individual toys were then made to match each character in the stories.

The fact that stuffed plush toys were made for the characters of these books and movies, made them even more popular and today these characters live on in the hearts of millions of children. Children everywhere have their favorite characters as stuffed fluffy toys. (Do your children have them, or do you have friends and relatives children who don't have a full collection? Why not make one of these favorite characters, their next gift.)

Take a look at some of the more well-known ones.

Winnie The Pooh

This is the Classic Winnie The Pooh Large by Disney

A.A Milne wrote stories around his son and his teddy bear. The teddy had been named Winnie after a black bear in London Zoo.

So Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh became famous. Winnie the Pooh always seemed to be getting into trouble because of his love of honey, (or ‘hunny’,as Winnie calls it). Winnie was always seen in a red shirt.

In the Winnie the Pooh books, A.A Milne also wrote about Winnie’s friends, who shared his adventures. These characters also became well-known and stuffed toys were created and loved.

Winnie the Pooh has a great many stuffed toys, large and small created after him. To children he is a much loved bear and his plush toys can be found everywhere.

There was Tigger, who was based on a tiger, but haves orange and brown stripes. His most well-known characteristic seems to be his love of bouncing. He boasted that the tiggers were wonderful, and that he was the only one. He loved laughing. Tigger plush toys were everywhere, and still are. They talk, they bounce and kids adore them.

Another friend of Winnie was Eeyore the grey donkey with a pink bow on his tail. He was usually very mournful, and was depicted with his head hanging. Nevertheless, he was and is a very cuddly and appealing soft toy.

Other popular friends of Winnie include Piglet, the very timid little pig with a striped jumper and as well as an owl who was wise. ‘Kanga’ and ‘Roo’ were a mother kangaroo and her son, and then there was Rabbit, who had a garden, of which he was proud.

All these friends of Winnie the Pooh became very popular stuffed toys or animals, and their origins were easily recognized. Some of the bouncing and talking Tigger plush toys made them very popular.

Paddington Bear

Another Character loved by children is Paddington Bear who also started his long life through a book. Paddington Bear was famous for wearing an old hat and duffle coat, and carrying a suitcase.

He loved to eat marmalade sandwiches. When Paddington Bear was made into a stuffed toy, the makers put him into Wellington boots so that he could stand, and they too became a famous part of the bear.

Paddington Bear is celebrating his 50th Birthday, so be sure to celebrate this famous bears long life with him and commemorate it with one of his plush toys.

Rupert Bear

Some of the more famous bears include a white bear, named Rupert Bear, who wore yellow checked trousers, scarf and a red jumper. Rupert Bear was in comic strips and he had a lot of adventures that started out when he was doing errands or going to visit friends.

Later there were annuals, which were eagerly read, and then Rupert Bear plush toys were made and sold. Rupert Bear later had a television series made about him.

Children Loved Them

Children were always happy to get the next book or comic strip about their favourite plush toys, to find out what new adventure was there.

This led to films and television stories about the soft toys, which were also very well received. Now you can buy these plush toys for your children as well as the movie and books.

Many children have vast collections of them. Buying them for Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and just for the sake of buying a gift. Make your children or friends and relatives children happy and give them a collection of these Characters and their books and movies. -ev