Elmo returns this year as “Big Hugs Elmo” previous versions have been tickle me Elmo, and rock Elmo, and it this year again high sales of Elmo is expected again this Christmas season with a retail price of $49.99. Check stock at Amazon now

A terrific toy on many fronts. It’s a big, cuddly, welcoming toy — surprisingly big, in fact, and perfectly sized to for kids in those early years through kindergarten when they really need a friend during a no-good, very bad day.

The toy is durable and soft, although it’s not very soft, as others have pointed out. The personality and cuteness, along with the muppet fur, are what make Elmo huggable. The body itself is very stiff (as you might expect, with lots of batteries and electronics to bring him to life), and the arms and legs do seem a bit spindly and fragile (and again, very wiry and hard underneath the fur).

But the toy’s interactivity and cuteness bridge the gap, so that when Elmo comes to life, you can’t help but want to hug him. The toy offers a nice variety of positive sayings and catchphrases, excellent for kids just mastering their language skills in complex sentences, and he’s as cute as he can be — as close as your child will get to having a real version of their very own irresistible Elmo to hug!