(Sophie was reviewed by Mel – Mum to Ollie, 6 months old:)
My first impression of Sophie was mixed – she was very sweet in a retro, kitsch 60’s kind of way and looks like nothing else in Ollie’s toybox. It’s obvious that the design hasn’t changed at all in 40-odd years. But that made her likable and trustworthy, not dated – after all, if she’s worked for the last 40 years on French babies, why on earth change her? I also loved the fact that the original materials were still in use, but have suddenly become ‘trendy’ too – Sophie is 100% natural, sustainable and eco-friendly!
When I first gave Sophie The Famous Giraffe to Ollie he didn’t seem terribly impressed. I’m guessing probably because she isn’t a conventional looking baby toy. Even the squeaky noise didn’t seem to interest him.
But! Once he got his gums on to Sophie there was just no stopping him! She really comes in to her own when soothing those horrible teething pains; perfect for Ollie right now!
Sophie’s giraffe shape is so easy for him to hold; either around the neck or by one (or all!) of her legs. Ollie then puts her into his mouth and chews and chews and chews! He’s not fussy – sometimes her feet are being chewed, sometimes it’s her head, and sometimes even her back!
Because she is made of soft natural rubber in a hollow mould she is probably a lot nicer to chew than his other teethers which are considerably harder than Sophie.
As a parent I have to say I loved the fact that Sophie is a completely safe and natural product – I felt very reassured that she is 100% safe for babies to chew. We have taken her with us wherever we have gone and she has been well loved and certainly well chewed!
(*note from Laura – I just love the fact that Sophie is not referred to by Mel as ‘it’ but as ‘she’. I think that says it all!)
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Sophie was also reviewed by Katy, Mum to 16 month old Benjamin…
The day that Sophie the Giraffe arrived, my on-line conversation with Laura included this;
“Sophie’s here!
and she’s gorgeous!
Ben’s face just lit up the minute her head poppped out of the package.”
20 minutes later…
“He’s still smiling at her and squeaking and chewing her feet. He’s also carrying her around, tucked under his arm. Very cute.”
Ben was 16 months old when Sophie arrived and despite the target age for her being 3-6 months, she has been thoroughly enjoyed by him. Ben is the type of toddler who will put anything and everything in his mouth and chew, if he can (crayons and play dough included which make for multi-coloured nappy changes!). The more satisfying the chew, the more favoured the object. Sophie, bless her, has been a regular favourite of Ben’s for many months now. Her size and shape make her perfect for small babies to handle but are also spot on for a teething toddler who has those annoying back teeth coming through and just HAS to chew something to get some relief from those aching gums. I, as Mum, am happy that Sophie is safe to be chewed!
So, as a toy that makes a wonderful gift for a small baby, good value is to be had as a baby becomes a toddler and will still seek Sophie for comfort, a giggle when she squeaks and an aching-gum-relieving chew!
Get your Sophie The Giraffe at Amazon now, she’ll become a life-long friend!
