I bought this book pretty much on the basis of the pigs on the front cover. Why is it that the best item is always the one shown on the cover? Indeed, as a toy for my little girl, I think the pigs are the only ones I'll really make. Possibly make the shark and lobster for our beach house but the long dangly bits of the lobster don't make it a toy for a small child. I can't comment on the yarns because we certainly can't get them easily in Australia, but it seems to me that a cheap, probably synthetic yarn that washes easily will be appropriate for toys for use by children. A bit disappointing, and I certainly agree with the previous review about the lack of instruction on how to make things stay in shape - how does the bear stand? Overall, probably a book to give to someone who likes collecting toy pattern books.These are some of the prettiest crocheted toys I've seen--very cute and clever. The directions are very clear and easy to follow, even for someone who's never tried crocheting a toy before (like me). So far, I've made the basic bear, the mermaid, and the foal.Of course, if any of these toys are to be created for use by babies, some modifications are necessary--no beads or other small, detachable items should be used. Also, no instructions are given for stiffening some slender areas of the toys, like the arms and legs of the dolls, and the legs of the foal.Still, a lovely book with plenty of good ideas. Not for beginners, but confident crafters will enjoy it.I like the book and think it is well worth the money, although I found typographical errors which made some instructions a little puzzling. Needed a better proofreader I think.I was disappointed with this. I expected more patterns and they werent what i wantedThis book is ok. I am not as impressed as I have been with other crochet toy books. A few of the patterns will be made, at least.I bought three different crochet books for my sister the new grandma. She loved every single one of them. She said this one had especially cute toys to make and a good variety of choices. I was having a hard time finding books with toy patterns but Amazon showed me many sites that were great.These little crocheted toys are sooo cute! They have whimsy in their design that makes them unique and adorable. There are so many possibilities to "dress" them, too - with all the fun patterns for clothes. This book is a winner if you like to create soft, stuffed animals with unique personalities!There are only one or two patterns that I like. The doll looks weird, The teddy bear is too skinny. Most have strings that could be a choking hazard for infants