The name "Chou Chou" comes from a French term of endearment. The Zapf site says it means "darling," but I always thought it meant "cabbage." The Chou Chou babies I have seen in the past have either been 8 inch mini dolls or more realistically-sized 19 inch babies. To me, the most fascinating Chou Chou on the Zapf website is "My First Tooth," a baby who cries and goes red in the cheeks until you give her a binky, at which point she giggles and "grows" two bottom teeth. The teeth are hysterically large, and (at least in pictures) make the baby look like she has a ferocious underbite. Her crying and laughing sounds are very lifelike, though.
A few weeks ago at Toys R Us, I noticed a new line of 5 inch Chou Chou dolls called the "Chou Chou Birdies." This is a visually appealing group of mini dolls that appears to be exclusive to Toys R Us. The collection includes six plastic baby dolls, each dressed in her own owl-themed outfit and accompanied by a plastic owl figure. The dolls cost $9.99 each:
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| Chou Chou Birdies "Jacky" (left) and "Candy" (right). |
