51-570: Little People is a toy brand for children ages 6–36 months and to ages 3 and up, originally produced by Fisher-Price, Inc. in the 1960s as the Play Family People . The current product line consists of playsets, mini-sets and accessories, books, CDs, and DVDs focusing on various configurations of 5 characters named Eddie, Tessa, Mia, Koby, and Sofie. Mattel reports that since the brand's launch, over 2-billion Little People figures have been sold in over 60 countries. In 2016, Little People
102-509: A "moo" sound when opened. Also at this time, the figures were made with plastic bodies instead of wood. The Play Family dollhouse was introduced in 1969, with other playsets to follow, including a firehouse, an airport and a service station. Eventually, the toys encompassed a wide range of playsets, furniture packs, and accessory packs. In the mid-1970s, Fisher-Price produced the Sesame Street town, with different Sesame Street stores,
153-798: A 27-year-old insurgent challenging his local assemblyman and the Bronx Democratic machine in a Democratic primary in September 1965. Abrams was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1966 to 1969, sitting in the 176th , 177th and 178th New York State Legislatures . From 1970 to 1978, he was borough president of the Bronx and a member of the New York City Board of Estimate , having been elected in 1969 and overwhelmingly re-elected in 1973 and 1977. He
204-510: A bridge with stop lights and Sesame Street characters such as Bert , Ernie , and the first Little People toys modeled after non-celebrities: Loretta Long (Susan), Roscoe Orman (Gordon), and Will Lee ( Mr. Hooper ). Soon after, the Little People Discovery Airport, a hospital, and a school would also be released. Little People characters had by then been also produced with plastic products exclusively. During
255-495: A different letter of the alphabet. This interactive play mat allows children to learn the alphabet, recognize letters, and learn facts about animals. This was a significant step for the company, as education is now infused in their product. Fisher-Price, Inc. Fisher-Price, Inc. is an American company that produces educational toys for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, headquartered in East Aurora , New York . It
306-630: A member of the Advisory Council for the Retired Attorney Pro Bono Program. In 2012, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Abrams as co-chairman of a Moreland Commission to investigate the preparedness and response of the utilities in New York State to Superstorm Sandy which took the lives of numerous New Yorkers and caused billions of dollars of damage. At the conclusion of its hearings and deliberations,
357-577: A press conference where he announced his endorsement of James in the race. James became the first woman and the first African American to be elected to the position of New York State Attorney General and appointed Abrams as co-chair of her transition team. Abrams resolved a controversy between the Jewish community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) concerning the church's proxy baptism practice. He established joint programs between
408-816: A prominent public figure who has performed exemplary public service addresses the students, faculty and alumni of the law school to urge students to consider all or a portion of their career to be dedicated to public service. During the ensuing 25 years, United States senators, governors, attorneys general and judges have appeared as guests, including United States Senators Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota, Tom Udall from New Mexico, Vermont Chief Justice Jeffrey Amestoy , Governors Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Mike Easley of North Carolina, Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, and attorneys general Karl Racine of Washington, D.C., Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Letitia James of New York. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Abrams in 2005 to serve on
459-552: A settlement with Fisher-Price in which the company agreed to post a more specific choking hazard warning label on the boxes of Little People toys. A book published in 1986 by Edward Swartz titled Toys That Kill prominently featured three original Little People figures on the cover and featured the Iain Cunningham case. The American Museum Of Tort Law features an exhibit on the Little People choking hazard. While
510-605: A state-level official. He was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General after serving as chairman of its Environment, Civil Rights and Anti-Trust Committees and was selected by his colleagues to receive the coveted Wyman Award as Outstanding Attorney General in the Nation. He was awarded honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Yeshiva University , Hofstra University , Long Island University and Pace University . In 1992, he sought election to
561-452: A wider cylinder shape for boys and men and a conical upper shape for the girls. Adult women had a kind of hourglass-shaped upper body. The bottom portions of the bodies were indented slightly (allowing for placement in the corresponding holes in other furniture, cars and other vehicles, in which the figures were able to "sit"). In 1968, Fisher-Price introduced the first Little People playset, the famous Play Family Barn with barn doors that made
SECTION 10
#1732786845901612-718: Is an American attorney and politician. He served as the attorney general of New York from 1979 to 1993 and was the Democratic nominee for the 1992 United States Senate election in New York . Abrams was born in The Bronx, New York, in a Jewish family, the son of Benjamin and Dorothy Abrams. He has one sister, Marlene (Abrams) Kitrosser. He graduated from Columbia College and the New York University School of Law . Abrams launched his political career as
663-524: The Little People franchise. They have been collected into around 30 volumes and released for home media on VHS and over 30 DVDs with some being distributed by Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate Home Entertainment through Family Home Entertainment . In 2007, Fisher-Price produced the Little People A to Z learning zoo. This production introduced animals to the Little People family. The A to Z learning zoo includes 26 animals that each begin with
714-555: The New York City Charter Revision Commission . In 2006, New York Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer appointed Abrams to serve as co-chair of his Policy Advisory Committee on Governmental Reform for his Transition, and New York Attorney General-Elect Andrew Cuomo appointed him Executive Chair of his Transition Committee. In 2008, New York Governor David Paterson appointed Abrams to serve on the Board of
765-579: The Raoul Wallenberg Lecture in Moscow before several hundred leaders of Jewish communities from each of the fifteen republics of the USSR. He also served on the corporate boards of Sterling Bancorp and Sterling National Bank for 18 years. On October 16, 2018, Abrams and Public Advocate Letitia James (running for New York State Attorney General) were at the steps of New York City Hall for
816-792: The United States Senate , to challenge Republican Senator Al D'Amato . He won the Democratic Primary, defeating former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro , Rev. Al Sharpton , and New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman . Abrams was initially the front-runner but by the end of the summer he was running second to Ferraro in polls. The nomination battle then took a bitter turn, particularly Holtzman and Abrams' attack on Ferraro's questionable business dealings including links with organized crime members including Gambino crime family soldier Robert DiBernardo , which Ferraro interpreted as anti-Italian slurs. After Abrams emerged as
867-634: The Wooden Railway line . Through Mattel's 2012 acquisition of HIT Entertainment , which subsequently became a division of Fisher-Price, Mattel now owns the property outright. With this, toys based on Mike the Knight and Bob the Builder have been subsequently released. During 1979–1983, Fisher-Price issued the Woodsey line of toys, whose characters were forest animals. It was accompanied by
918-562: The Woodsey Log Library , a companion book series written by Marci Ridlon and illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres . Installments in the series included Grandma & Grandpa's Grand Opening , Uncle Filbert Saves the Day , Mayor Goodgrub's Very Important Day , and Lightning Strikes Twice . Later in the line's run, Michael Hague took over as illustrator with Bramble Beaver's Bright Idea and The Seasons with V.B. Bird . Starting in
969-777: The 1980s, seven games which carried the Fisher-Price name were developed by GameTek for the PC and the Commodore 64 . In 1990, three of these titles were ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System : Titles developed by Davidson & Associates include: Other titles published by Fisher-Price include: Other Fisher-Price products include Activegear for families on the go, books, software, car travel accessories, footwear, music, eyeglasses and videos. Robert Abrams Robert Abrams (born July 4, 1938)
1020-679: The Commission released a report which resulted in changes to New York State law and practices by utilities. He also served on numerous boards of community not for profit organizations: Fund for the City of New York, Citizens Union Board Member and President of the Citizens Union Foundation, America Israel Friendship League, and Council for a Secure America. Abrams was a leader of the Soviet Jewry Movement in
1071-671: The Fire Engine" and the "Nifty Station Wagon." The Nifty Station Wagon came with two adult figures and one child figure, thus the first "Play Family" was born. In 1985, Fisher-Price trademarked "Little People" and formally changed the name of the brand. Today, Little People are known and sold throughout the world. A Nifty Station Wagon in mint condition, in the box, could command up to $ 1,000,000 among toy collectors. The original Little People went through six major styles of body (base) configurations, and even within each major classification there may be one or more minor style variations. By 1961,
SECTION 20
#17327868459011122-575: The Fisher-Price name. In 2004, Royal Caribbean Cruise lines launched Fisher-Price Cabanas, play laboratories for children on each of their cruise ships. On August 2, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled close to a million toys, including the Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street toys, because of possible hazards due to the toys being coated in lead-based paint. Fisher-Price recalled all 4.7 million of their Rock 'n Play sleepers on April 12, 2019, days after
1173-587: The Little People line introduced electronic sounds and movements. The Little People characters were given distinct personalities and voices in a stop motion , animated series with Phil Craig, known for starring in The Time Traveller's Wife , Cinderella Man , and Spider ; and Aaron Neville singing the theme song. The series was produced by Denmark-based Egmont Imagination and Cuppa Coffee Studios between 1999 and 2005. Since 1999, 138 individual episodes and six music videos have been produced for
1224-776: The United Nations Development Corporation. On May 9, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson renamed the Justice Building at the Empire State Plaza in Albany the Robert Abrams Building for Law and Justice. Also in 2009, Attorney General elect Eric Schneiderman appointed Abrams to serve as Honorary Co-chair of his Transition Committee. In 2010, New York's chief judge, Jonathan Lippman , appointed him to be
1275-846: The United States. Serving as chairman of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry , he attended several international conferences, in Paris where delegates met to plan strategy for the movement; in Brussels, where Golda Meir , U.S. Senator Frank Church , Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel , and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin addressed the convocation; and in Jerusalem at a world plenum which addressed Soviet Jewish absorption issues in Israel. In 1991, Abrams delivered
1326-597: The World: My Journey in Politics , was published by Skyhorse Publishing . On September 15, 1974, he married the daughter of Jacob and Hilda Schulder, Diane Schulder Abrams, an attorney who created and taught the first "Women and the Law" course in an American law school. Robert and Diane have two daughters, Rachel and Becky, and eight grandchildren. Robert and Diane's second child Becky was born to them when Diane
1377-457: The company recalled 250,000 infant soothers. The product, introduced in 2009, holds the sleeping baby in an inclined position. More than 30 infants have died while sleeping in a Rock 'n Play. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said these deaths occurred "after the infants rolled over while unrestrained or under other circumstances". Years before the introduction of the Rock 'n Play sleeper in
1428-483: The company's first. By the end of the 1950s, Fisher-Price manufactured 39 toys incorporating plastics. During the 1960s, the Play Family (later known as Little People ) product line was introduced and soon overtook the popularity of earlier toys. The 'Family House' was one of the more popular Little People playsets. Herman Fisher retired at the age of 71 in 1969 and The Quaker Oats Company bought Fisher-Price
1479-513: The deal was signed in August 1987. This video series centered around two children named Timmy and Penny and their Baby Sister, their parents, and their dog Lucky. In 1987 the company paid a $ 2.5 million settlement to the parents of Iain Cunningham after their son became physically and mentally disabled from choking on a figurine. In 1990, New York Attorney General Robert Abrams negotiated
1530-411: The figures were produced with wood; plastic was used for their vehicles and buildings. A few years later, the typical smiley face of the traditional Little People introduced in a "straight-body" format. All of the people had a basic cylinder body with the female figures only identifiable by the addition of slanted, oval eyes and eyelashes. By 1965, the Little People consisted of a small cylindrical base and
1581-551: The four founders took 16 of their wooden toys to the American International Toy Fair in New York City and they quickly became a success. The first Fisher-Price toy ever sold was "Dr. Doodle" in 1931. In the early 1950s, Fisher-Price identified plastic as a material that could help the company incorporate longer-lasting decorations and brighter colors into its toys, introducing "Buzzy Bee" as
Little People (toys) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-483: The late 2010s, a line of celebrity Little People was launched with playsets including Kiss Little People and The Beatles " Yellow Submarine " Little People. In 1988, Marvel Productions made an animated series of six Little People videos such as Favorite Songs , 3 Favorite Stories , A Visit to the Farm , Fun With Words , Jokes, Riddles and Rhymes , and Christmas Fun , which were released by New World Video , which
1683-640: The marketplace. He is also well-known for the manner in which he sensitively and professionally handled an extremely difficult assignment, that of Special Prosecutor investigating the claims of Tawana Brawley . Governor Mario Cuomo directed him in 1988 to investigate the claims of Brawley, a black teenager, that she had been abducted and raped in upstate Dutchess County by a gang of whites. A lengthy grand jury inquiry supervised by Abrams' office later concluded that she had fabricated her story. During his tenure as attorney general, Abrams received numerous awards and honors and earned national prominence rarely achieved by
1734-502: The mid-1990s, the American Academy of Pediatrics ' Back to Sleep campaign recommended that "babies should not sleep for long periods in inclined devices". In babies under one year old, dying during sleep (also known as SIDS , or "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome") is the leading cause of accidental death. The recommendation that babies sleep flat on their backs, in an empty crib, has cut this death rate in half. The Rock 'n Play
1785-447: The money and action. Early toys were made of heavy steel parts and ponderosa pine, which resisted splintering and held up well to heavy use. The details and charm were added with colorful lithographic labels. Mrs. Price was the first Art Director and designed push-pull toys for the opening line, based on characters from her children's books. The mayor of Aurora, New York supported Fisher by raising $ 100,000 in capital. In 1931, three of
1836-531: The nominee, the Democrats remained divided and he was unable to secure Ferraro's endorsement until the last days of the campaign. Abrams was also criticized for calling D'Amato a Fascist , and he narrowly lost the general election as a result of these controversies. After narrowly losing the Senate race, despite making plans to run for re-election as state attorney general, Abrams announced his resignation from
1887-635: The office of attorney general on September 8, 1993, to take effect on December 31. He had a year left in his term. Upon leaving government, Abrams joined the now-defunct Stroock & Stroock & Lavan as a partner. He has remained active in civic affairs in New York. In 1996, the New York University School of Law established an annual lecture program, the Attorney General Robert Abrams Public Service Lecture whereby each year
1938-408: The original Little People. For the first time, the Little People figures had arms, hands, more detailed clothing, molded hair, and facial features. In 1999, Little People celebrated their 40th anniversary with the return of the first Little People toy ever: Little People School Bus and characters. The play sets include the school bus, circus train, construction vehicles, and other play sets. In 2000,
1989-628: The product was redesigned in 1991 to become chunkier and therefore harder to for children to swallow, Fisher-Price contended that the redesign was not in response to choking deaths and that the Little People figurine are safe when they are played with by children of the appropriate age. In response to the choking deaths, the company launched the "Family Alert Program" campaign in 1992 to warned parents not to let young children play with Little People playset and other toys that are designed for older children. A Fisher-Price spokesman stated that "the original Little People were designed for children 2 to 6 and met all
2040-490: The recall after additional infant deaths were reported. Fisher-Price has created approximately 5,000 different toys since the early 1930s. One of Fisher-Price's best-known lines is Little People toys, which includes people and animal figures, along with various play sets such as a house, farm, school, garage and vehicles. The figures, which originally were wooden peg-style characters, are now molded of plastic and have detailed features. In addition to Little People, some of
2091-456: The safety standards for Fisher-Price, and we've never had a complaint from parents of children in that age range." In 2010, Health Canada issued a warning that pre-1991 Little People toys should be disposed after a recent choking death of an infant. In 1997, the figures underwent a drastic redesign, from simple lathe-turned shapes to sculpted bodies. Little People became much more detailed and smaller in overall size – in fact, closer in size to
Little People (toys) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2142-464: The same year. In 1991, Fisher-Price regained its independence from The Quaker Oats Company and became a publicly traded company . Two years later, in November 1993, Mattel bought Fisher-Price. A new management group set the company's focus on basic, infant and preschool products and began expansion into international markets. By 1997, Mattel decided to market all of its preschool products under
2193-541: The toy). Following the success of this toy, Between 1952 and 1953, Fisher-Price developed the "Super-Jet" and "Racing Rowboat". Another early Little People precursor, the #959 "Safety School Bus", was introduced in 1959. The set included a school bus together with six independent figures made out of tall slimmer pegs of cardboard tubes wrapped in lithographs simulating clothes. The toy gained instant popularity and other sets soon came out. In 1960, Fisher-Price introduced two additional toys with removable figures; "Snorky
2244-638: The toys and toy brands that have remained popular for many years include Power Wheels , View-Master , Rescue Heroes , the Chatter Telephone and the Rock-a-Stack . Other brands marketed under the Fisher-Price name over the years include Disney , Sesame Street , Dora the Explorer and See 'n Say . Fisher-Price also designs and sells infant care products and has begun developing electronic toys for preschoolers. In 2009, Fisher-Price bought all toy rights to Thomas & Friends , except for
2295-740: The two communities, including initiating a joint Jewish-LDS delegation to visit Israel in 2016 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of LDS Apostle Orson Hyde's dedicatory prayer at the Mount of Olives declaring Jerusalem and its environs to be the land of the Jewish people. Abrams was presented with the Thomas L. Kane award by the J. Reuben Clark Law Society of the LDS Church on June 9, 2022, in Salt Lake City, in recognition of his leadership efforts. In March 2021, Abrams' memoir, The Luckiest Guy in
2346-545: Was a presidential elector , voting for Michael Dukakis – Lloyd Bentsen ticket. Abrams was elected New York Attorney General in 1978, the first time in forty years a Democrat was elected to that post, and was subsequently re-elected three times, in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He defeated future Republican Rep Peter King in his 1986 re-election campaign for Attorney General. Abrams built a reputation as an activist and consumer advocate, taking on environmental polluters, charity frauds, discrimination in housing and various activities in
2397-440: Was a delegate to the 1972 , 1976 , 1980 and 1984 Democratic National Conventions . At the 1972 Democratic National Convention, he was the co-chair of the New York delegation and was at the microphone to cast New York's 267 votes for George McGovern. In 1980, he was the chairman of Senator Edward M. Kennedy's primary campaign for president in New York and led a strong victory over incumbent President Jimmy Carter. In 1988 , he
2448-421: Was designed 15 years after these sleep recommendations were published and, according to an article from The Washington Post , violated them. Fisher-Price sold the Rock 'n Play without first getting medical advice from more than one pediatric specialist and without doing any real-world safety tests. They continued to sell it for years after the first deaths were reported. In January 2023, Fisher-Price re-announced
2499-731: Was founded in 1930 during the Great Depression by Herman Fisher , Irving Price , Price's illustrator-artist wife Margaret Evans Price and Helen Schelle . Fisher worked previously in manufacturing, selling and advertising games for a company in Churchville, New York . Price had retired from a major variety chain store and Helen Schelle previously operated Penny Walker Toy Shop in Binghamton, New York . Fisher-Price's fundamental toy-making principles centered on intrinsic play value, ingenuity, strong construction, good value for
2550-531: Was founded in 1930 during the Great Depression by Herman Fisher , Irving Price , Helen Schelle and Margaret Evans Price . Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993. Notable toys from the brand include the Little People toy line, Power Wheels , View-Master , Rescue Heroes , the Chatter Telephone , and the Rock-a-Stack . The company also manufactures a number of products and toys designed for infants. Fisher-Price
2601-545: Was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame . The "Little People" name, registered and trademarked by Mattel and Fisher-Price in 1985, came from Mattel following the lead of consumers who referred to the early Play Family playsets as "those little people". By 2019, more than two billion Little People figures had been sold in more than 60 countries. Little People started in 1950 with the "Looky Fire Truck" and three round-headed fire men (attached permanently to
SECTION 50
#1732786845901#900099