It looks like a dog toy. It feels like a dog toy. It even squeaks like a dog toy! But this is no dog toy… this is the perfect toy for teething babies! A big hit at our recent Mommy & Me group, Sophie the Giraffe has become your new favorite thing.

You haven’t shown much interest in toys up until this point, but this retro style rubber object is just the right size for your tiny mouth and hands. You are in the very early stages of teething and seem to really enjoy gnawing on it. I hope Sophie continues to be well-loved in our home.

This over priced (I paid $22.00) giraffe from France is your new favorite toy and her story (and benefits) are too cute not to share. I took the liberty of Americanizing the following from www.sophiegiraffeusa.com:

Sophie the Giraffe, who looks exactly the same then as she does today, went into production on Thursday, May 25, 1961, St. Sophie’s day.

A certain Monsieur Rampeau, an expert in transforming sap from the Hevea tree using the rotational molding of rubber as a toy-making concept, came up with the idea of designing a giraffe. Such an exotic wildlife figure would be a first on the market, and its size and shape would be ideal for a baby’s small hands to grasp.

Sophie was an immediate success when mothers saw that she helped soothe their children as soon as the first signs of teething appear. By simple word of mouth, the little giraffe’s fame spread.

Vulli, a company based in Rumilly in the Haute-Savoie region of France has continued to keep the jealously-guarded secret of how this wonder toy is made. In today’s fast paced world it is unusual to see a high production toy still “traditionally produced” and made by hand: Sophie requires more than 14 manual manufacturing steps.

Sophie the Giraffe is designed to stimulate each of baby’s senses:

SIGHT At the age of 3 months, a baby’s eyesight is still limited and he can only make out high contrasts. The dark and contrasting attention-catching spots all over Sophie’s body provide visual stimulation and she soon becomes a familiar and reassuring object for baby.

HEARING Sophie’s squeaker keeps baby amused and stimulates his hearing. To begin with, the funny sound Sophie makes when she is squeezed helps to stimulate baby’s hearing, and then later, helps him to understand the link between cause and effect.

TASTE Sophie is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint, and is completely safe to chew. Her soft texture and numerous chewable parts (ears, horns, legs), make her perfect for soothing baby’s sore gums during teething.

TOUCH Touch is the first means a baby has of communicating with the outside world. Sophie’s soft feel, like baby’s mother’s skin, stimulates physiological and emotional response that soothe baby and promote healthy growth and well-being. Sophie’s shape and 7 inch size are perfect for baby’s small hands. She is very light, and her long legs and neck are easy for baby to grip, even from his earliest days.

SMELL The singular scent of natural rubber from the Hevea tree makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for your child to identify amid all his other toys.

More than 30 million Sophies have been sold and favorable reviews have appeared in Mother & Baby and Parenting magazines.

She is an undisputed star for babies everywhere. The archetypal embodiment of the early learning toy. Sophie the Giraffe is a must-have who enjoys widespread popularity and is genuinely loved by every parent and child.

We are definitely in love and it helped my buying decision process that one of my oldest and dearest friends is also named Sophie!

The best is yet to be.

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