When we at the office opened up the box to reveal this interactive toy ($15), we squealed — not in delight, but in terror. "It has an evil glint in its eye," said our Editorial Director Michael. Gwynne pushed the button to make it move around and it fell over, flailed for a while and made a bleating noise that sounded like death throes. We put it in a drawer and joked about how we'd ever survive an encounter with the three-foot-tall Fur Real Pony. Then, a few weeks ago, my then-nine-month-old son was kicking around the office and discovered the warbling FurReal lamb. When it baaaed its plaintive baa, we waited to see my son freak out. Instead, he smiled broadly and carried it around for the rest of his visit. The battery cover eventually fell off, so we had to duct-tape it back together. To this day, whenever my son spots the lamb in his toy box, he smiles and reaches for it, utterly charmed. The cats, on the other hand, side with us — it scares the hell out of them. — Ada Calhoun
