Baby Cookie Monster Toys Sold with DVD at Wal-Mart Recalled for Choking Hazard

October 18, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Baby Cookie Monster Plush Toys

Units: 31,000

Manufacturer: The Betesh Group of New York, NY

Hazard: The small felt fabric cookie attached to the plush toy's hand can be removed easily and ingested by young children, posing a choking hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: No injuries or incidents have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the Baby Cookie Monster plush toy packaged with certain Sesame Beginnings Make Music Together DVDs. The blue plush toy has a small, felt fabric cookie attached to its hand. The plush toy and DVD are packaged in a yellow and green box with the words "Sesame Beginnings" and "Make Music Together" printed on the front. The product is labeled for children ages 6 months and up.

Sold: Exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from March 2006 to July 2006 for about $15.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Using scissors, consumers should immediately remove the felt cookie and its connecting thread from the plush toy. Once detached, the felt cookie and thread should be disposed of immediately.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Sesame Workshop at (800) 986-1619 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit Sesame Workshop's Web site at www.sesameworkshop.org/recall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.