*****Intro*****
Over the last year I have been lucky enough to become a Godfather and Uncle to two lovely little girls with my God-daughter being a couple of weeks over one year old and my niece being 10 months old. After reading a review about this product on Dooyoo and searching online for a good price decided that this seemed the ideal present for them this Christmas and would be one which would last and grow with them as they do.

*****Price*****
Now having earned enough on Dooyoo for a £20 Amazon voucher and cashing in my Nectar points (UK loyalty scheme) and turning them in Amazon vouchers this is where most of my shopping came from this year, and happily where I found the best price for Violet. I paid £14.99 inc free supersaver P&P (which on a side note arrived way before their estimated delivery). I have noticed today before writing this review that the price is now £17.99 in P&P but that is still a saving of around £2 as most other outlets sell this product for £20. I consider the price I paid and the current price on Amazon a fair one as I was was very pleased with the product.

*****The Actual Product*****
Now Violet is an interactive toy which by using a USB lead into your computer you can personalise Violet so she interacts with your child in a clever way. You can program her to say you child's name as well as their favourite items, such as food and colour. Your child's name and favourites will them be incorporated into various songs and activities and well as general chit chat. It is worth noting that where as in previous earlier models Violet had an American accent, now she has a British accent, which will be less confusing for your child as they develop their language skills.

It is worth noting that Violet is definitely aimed at girls, but there is a green version, Scout, who is aimed at boys and will do what Violet does but with a boys voice.

Violet is a lovely soft toy, though the USB/battery pack is fairly big and solid, there seems to be enough softness surrounding it to prevent any unwanted bumps. On Violet there are 5 press points. One is the power on/off point which when switched on Violet says Hi.... And says your child's name. One is a daytime songs button which you can download songs from the computer so you can change things around to keep the toy fresh. It also has a song which will teach your child to spell their name. There is an activities button where Violet will play guessing type games. On the tummy there is some hearts which are violets more chatty type modes and finally there is the lullaby button where you can set bedtime songs for 2, 5 or 10mins with Violet encouraging your child that it's bed time and time to go to sleep - all very cute.

Packaging wise, Violet comes in a brightly coloured box with a USB lead and instructions on how to download content. Doing this is very simple (as I set up both dogs before I gave them on Christmas day), just download the leapfrog application to you computer and plug in the toy and away you go. You are lead through a very simple process of adding various things to Violet and also being able to change them when your child or you(!) get fed up and need a change.

****Overall Thoughts*****
I am basing my review on how they were received on the day and how they are played with now. Obviously a parent could give you a fuller review of how the child likes them etc on a day to day basis, but I do see both girls regularly so know they are really enjoyed by them. Violet has become a firm favourite in both houses, and with the ability to change the content I can see this toy being played with and enjoyed for a long while.

As someone who has come across lots of pre-school type toys in my work I was really impressed with this product, when the toy says the child's name you get an instant reaction from them which was great to watch, and the variety of activities and songs is great too. It is built well as you would expect from this brand I have no problem awards it 5 Stars***** A great buy!
Thanks for reading my review!