I am happy to report back that at 4 months old Jema loves Sophie... The texture is very soft and very flixible, which makes her holding it a breeze! She loves chewing on the hoofs and the ears (Both parts are a little harder than the rest of the giraffe) Jema loves starring at sophie as well, I would guess it's the contrasting between the cream colored body and the brown spots - the simple things that entertain our little ones!
It doesn't have a strong rubber smell which is good..there are some reviews out there that state this toy can be a choking hazard....my advice with the toy is it's pretty tough construction, and I think it's best suited for early teethers and not a toddler with a full set of chompers... And as always just keep an eye on your baby while playing with any toy...sheesh blankets suffocate babies all the time...just using common sense and I think this is a fun toy to invest in for your baby...It's of course made out of all non toxic materials....Is it worth the $15-$20......I say NO, not unless you have a coupon/sale or register for one...But I would gladly spend $10-$14 on this little toy! I also wanted to mention that this chew toy is very soft and squishy...seriously feels like a dogs toy....I think in the pics it looks as if it would be firm and more foam like....heres a picture of me squeezing it in my hand so you can see how flexible it is..
This is a great video on how Sophie is made and some fun facts http://www.sophiethegiraffetoy.com/
***After watching the video on the link above, I have more respect for the toy...She is over 50 years old and handmade in France... I'm happy we have sophie b/c it has turned out to be one of Jema's favorite toys...coincidence....I'm not sure :)
