God is bigger than the Boogie Man, He's bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on TV...

This, therefore, is your premise when determining whether Junior Asparagus and his glowing eyeballs will soothe your child. Sure, God is bigger than the bad guys, but will that cure the shock that comes from a talking asparagus placed in your bed at night? Something to think about...

Veggie Tales Junior (Asparagus) Glow Light is a soft figure (with exceptions noted later) about eight inches long from the bottom of his stalk to the top of his brightly-colored night cap. His little face includes two wide eyes and a crooked little smile that is at once cute and mischievious.

If Junior were simply a stuffed creature the review would have to end soon. There's not much else to say about his furry properties. Very typical in that respect of plush creatures, prone to the same negatives (cleaning, stains, matting of fur) as well as positives (cute). Yet this little veggie is not your average stuffed creature. This one talks. And glows.

Talk
First, the talking. A quick squeeze of Junior's mid-section will result in a tiny, almost squeeky little voice stating: "I'm not scared" and then a hummed rendition of Junior's infamous "God is bigger than the boogie man..." song.

Good: Getting the voice out is easy. There's no pushing around various sections to find the hidden button to make noise.

Bad: When Junior's hidden reserve of power (i.e. batteries) decide to slowly drain of their power, the voice and humming become a bit like static, slightly drowned out, and more bothersome than when he was at full power.

Worse: Considering this is billed as something for children while laying in bed at night the fact that the noise comes on very easily can mean a lot of startled children when rolling upon a soft asparagus results in a voice and song from the inner recesses of comforters. Scary!

Those Eyes...
You've squeezed Junior's mid-section and that voice comes alive. Well, so do those big oblong eyes. They glow. Throughout Junior's entire oration those big plastic eyes are lit. Think that good ol' Glow Worm toy but all eyes.

Good: This is harmless, cute, makes the toy a bit more interesting and unique.

Worse: Forget the bad, let's get to worse - did I mention that all of this happening while in the midst of sleep can be a bit unnerving? Glowing eyes only adds to the shock.

Junior Meets Madeline
It was instant attraction that fateful moment when Madeline (the live 16 month old version) and Junior the talking, glowing asparagus met. Perhaps not love at first sight but the attraction was certainly there.

One "Baby!" from Madeline and the relationship seemed destined for greatness. The squeezing, the talking...all good.

Then it was time for bed. Madeline settled snuggly in her favorite blankie, pondering the events of the day in the dimness of her sanctuary. Ethan, the ever-present, always helpful big brother assisted the moment by adding Junior Asparagus to her crib. Junior, I'm sure happy at seeing Madeline once again, began serenading her with those glowing eyes. That's all it took....

A shriek louder than I have heard, or have heard since, emitted from her room along with the thud of something hitting the wall quite severely. Junior still works and still gamely plays his tunes and lights his eyes. But the relationship with Madeline is over. You just don't break up a gal's beauty rest with glowing eyes and song (a lesson that can be learned by asparagus of all ages).

.................
Final Notes... Fisher Price lists age requirements as 3 and up. You safety conscious readers are probably harpooning me with your keyboard over giving this toy to a child under three. The problem? A child over 3 would probably not be quite as attracted to this little guy. There are no tiny parts, the big plastic eyes, though hard and not cuddly, are not easily ripped away. In fact, I believe it is probably concern over the velcro closure at back which houses the batteries that causes the concern.

It's a tough call but in our home the three year old has no interest in this form of toy.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Stuffed Toy
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months