He squeaks and laughs when you do unexpected things (a couple weeks ago, it was tearing celery, yesterday it was my mother - in - law tipping over a toy giraffe).
The giraffe's back story appeals both to the kind of parents who knit their brows over chemical - laced plastic — Sophie's sales reportedly increased during the 2007 Chinese toy recalls — and those who get gooey over European eco-friendliness.