Kids and Adults

Ollie is a favorite. Of all the toys in Billy’s home, the stuffed rabbit takes top rank: everywhere Billy goes, so goes Ollie. But being a favorite is more than a privilege—it’s also fraught with danger. Because of Zozo.

Zozo has never been a favorite. An amusement park prize who was never chosen, Zozo has grown so bitter that, when the amusement park closes, he seeks revenge on every toy lucky enough to be a favorite. He wants them all to become The Lost, and even better, Forgotten.

When Billy accidentally leaves Ollie under the table at a wedding, Ollie finds himself on an unplanned adventure, kidnapped by the nefarious Zozo and his gang of creeps and faced with the momentous task of saving not only himself, but all the other stuffies who are “lost” as well…

An instant classic. I love this story as an adult and I would love it just as much if I read it as a child.

This story reminded me of my favorite toy. It is this cute doll figure that came from a set of dolls, but he was my favorite. I called him George from the George Shrinks show. I did just about everything with him, I’m surprised he’s still in one piece. I lost him constantly, but I always found him in the end. Now he sits in a little lounge chair on my desk. It’s kind of like he’s retired.

This book would make a great movie in my opinion. But not just an animated movie, in my mind it would be a stop-motion animation. That’s how I pictured it in my mind while reading this story.  Stop-motion would be perfect for this story, all those tiny details. I feel like this is a story the stop-motion movie company Laikawould do a movie of. I’d watch it. Then again, I’d watch anything made by Laika. They were the ones who made Coraline, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link.

What was your favorite toy as a child? Do you still own the toy? Comment below if you would like to share.

This week’s Weird but True Fact about the National Toy Hall of Fame

Silly Putty, the View-Master viewer, the Jigsaw Puzzle, the Hula Hoop, and G.I. Joe are in the U.S.A.’s National Toy Hall of Fame.