Talking Po Teletubby > Reviews (5)

First of all, I feel I must point out that this is a general review on all talking teletubby dolls rather than just Po. They are basically the same toy modified to suggest the different characters they represent. If anything I will be focusing more on Laa-Laa as she is the resident "'Tubby" in our home,
it should be noted that the specifications detailed apply to all the dolls within the range.

I admit that the Teletubbies have probably now faded from their glory-days 6 years ago,
their position as top toddlerT.V. celebrities has probably been taken by the more sophisticated Tweenies, or the new and trendy Fimbles. They will however go down in history as the cause of Tubby-mania, the madness that swept the nation the first Christmas after their launch. Yes, parents did fight over teletubby-dolls and yes they were stolen from children's prams!

Teletubbies still go down well with most babies and younger toddlers, there is something appealing about the gentle voices and happy personalities. There are still plenty of Teletubby products on the market and the talking Teletubbies are amongst the best in my opinion.

I haven't always felt this way though, my eldest son was a baby when the Teletubbies launched, he was lucky enough to have two of the original dolls created by Golden Bear and these were the best as far as I was concerned. A couple of years later the same company produced the talking Teletubby range, which I was intially not impressed with.

They were made to a different scale from the original dolls (at 45cm Laa-Laa is about twice the size) and they did seem to be very expensive at the time.

Last year I saw some Laa-Laa dolls (the yellow one) on offer at half-price and decided to purchase one for my youngest son, who was then a year old. I am very glad we did, it is now a firm favourite with him and has surpassed my expectations too.

The toy is beautifully made in a material pefect for teletubbies, ears, feet and tummy-screen have a different texture for added interest. The toy is surface washable and has worn well (important in a yellow toy). The face is plastic with a sweet expression and eyes that can close. It is a good representation of the character.

She can speak 5 phrases in a perfect Laa-Laa voice which is not too loud. The voice pack is concealed in a zip compartment which can be removed if required. It requires 3 AA batteries which last well, we haven't replaced ours yet. The battery compartment requires a screw-driver to open, which is a good safety feature.

This is a toy that can comfort and amuse and is a valuable addition to the nursery. My son loves his teletubby very much and she is certainly one of his dearest friends,I have to say thanks to the huge amount of times she has saved me from stress at bedtime, she is fast becoming one of mine too!

If Laa-Laa isn't your favourite, you could consider inviting Tinky-Winky the biggest Teletubby who is beautiful in purple, groovy Dipsy who is a zesty lime green or indeed sweet cherry red Po herself to stay. I promise any of the four friends can brighten your days!

Talking Teletubbies are currently priced at around £30.