This plush beagle is one in a collection of 24 stuffed animals produced by Russ Berrie in partnership with the International Star Registry® and AGE® Inc. With every RUSS Shining Stars friend comes the opportunity to register and name a star with the International Star Registry. Each plush piece is cis identifiable by the star icon and embroidered Shining Stars logo on its paw pad. Each pet  also comes with a tag that contains an online code, giving kids access to the Shining Stars site, where they can play games, enter into safe chats with other Shining Star owners, and build a virtual world for their plush pets.

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TDmonthly Review:

What Is It?
This cuddly creature comes with a secret code that allows kids to name an actual star in the sky through the National Star Registry and print an official Shining Star Chart. In addition, kids will be able to officially name their Shining Star friend. They can also assign it character traits using a simple drag and drop method, make a wish upon their very own star, and more.

What We Thought
The stuffed animal is not only cute and cuddly, but it is accompanied by many online features, including the ability to add Shining Star friends, watch Shining Star movies, play games, send e-cards, chat and download wallpapers and icons.  The Web site is child-friendly, with large, colorful images and icons, fun sounds and intuitive setup. Although it was easy to use, there was a glitch in which the site kept prompting me to exit the screen and try again. The site also had about three features that seemed really cool, such as voting and discovering unique facts about specific constellations. But when I clicked on them, I got the message, "Coming Soon!" which was kind of disappointing.

Why They’ll Want It
Kids will love the opportunity to officially name and assign character traits to their Shining Star friend. Such personalization allows kids to develop strong emotional attachments to their new friend, while the animals’ cuddliness allows kids to develop strong physical attachments to the toy. Kids can give their little friends “star makeovers” at any time, changing the toys’ personalities as they themselves change and grow, thus making their Shining Star friend a friend for life. — Sivhour Sim, 6/5/07