New York, NY (May 4, 2021) – What’s green and white and adored by both babies and toy industry experts? My Plush Hess Truck: 2021 Cement Mixer ($29.99) is earning rave reviews and top honors for its interactive fun from the crib to the car by National Parenting Products Awards, The Toy Insider, Mom’s Choice Award, Hot Diggity Awards and The National Parenting Center.

In March The Toy Insider’s James Zahn enthusiastically announced the arrival of the soft toy truck. “Decked out in Hess’s iconic green and white color scheme,” he began, “the Cement Mixer is the second release in an infant and toddler line” that launched in 2020. “The annual plush releases join the Hess Toy Truck tradition which includes the Holiday Hess Toy Trucks -- released every fall since 1964 — and the annual summer Mini Collections”. He then added, “Bottom line: if you have a little one that you’d like to get one for, definitely buy it right away!”

Parents, bloggers and toy industry experts quickly touted the adorable pint-size plush that requires merely a hug to amuse with songs and lights. After heralding its March 8, 2021 reveal The Toy Insider included the interactive plush in not one but three of its Spring & Summer 2021 Gift Guides in its 0-2 age category. Parents will find the cement mixer in The Toy Insider Entertainment Gift Guide, The Toy Insider Travel Toy & Games Gift Guide and The Toy Insider Physical/Active Gift Guide for newborn to toddler gift giving. The editors wrote, “This green, plush Hess truck features 10 squeeze-activated, flashing lights and a 15-minute, timed night light. It plays “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” and “The Alphabet Song,” and also features a mute mode.”

“This is an adorable toy,” began the first of six published National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA) reviews, “[that]plays music and acts as a night light that turns off in 15 minutes.”

“This is one of the best looking plushies I have seen,” boasted another NAPPA reviewer. “The colors are bright and vivid, it has the perfect amount of fill, and the materials used are silky smooth. The light up feature is so special. It lights up the white portions of the truck from within with a soft glow that is really pleasing to look at and not overly colorful. I’ve never seen a light up feature like it.”

The National Parenting Center followed the glowing trend with its writeup: “Ready for play as soon as it comes out of the box, with batteries included (always a parent favorite). Those same parents noted that for a plush toy with a battery pack inside, it is well designed as the firmness of the battery pack is tucked away neatly towards the bottom. This allows the toy to remain soft and cuddly even though it has interactive features that are batterypowered.” The must-buy-one review continued, ”…The music encourages both learning and movement, and the song choices really are perfect for young minds and bodies. The toy has a silent mode, so parents don't have to fear putting their kids to bed with it, worrying that
while cuddling their cement truck, they might accidentally trigger the music and wake children in the middle of the night. The size and weight of the toy make it ideal as a travel companion as well. Due to the design of the cement truck, small hands can easily grab hold of the toy, and thanks to its lightweight, they will have no trouble dragging this toy along on their adventures.”

Trust mom to always give a candid opinion. This year’s My First Plush Hess Truck earned a Mom’s Choice Award with a sweet opening line, “This endearing green plushie truck, safe for all ages, will evoke awwws instantly. Youngsters eyes will widen, just like the truck’s friendly eyes, when they give a squeeze and are rewarded with the super soft fabric, two different songs and flashing lights.”

What makes it Hot Diggity great? queries the winning review by the Hot Diggity Awards. The answer: “So many uses in one toy! This soft plush cement truck is a musical playtime toy, nighttime buddy, and comforting night light. The sound quality is excellent, and the lights are the perfect brightness. Parents will appreciate the "mute" option, that disables the music, but still enables the lights to shine. Great for kids with tactile defensiveness. Ages: Birth and up.”

Both Creative Child Magazine and Baby Maternity Magazine gave the green and white plush its 2021 top toy honors. While limited supplies last, go to https://hesstoytruck.com/ to purchase. Once online, long time collectors and new Hess toy fans can register for texts or emails to be the first to learn what’s coming for the beloved toy fleet.