Measuring 5.1 x 3.9 x 3.1”, Vanille is a petite darling. The lead string for this pull-toy measures approximately 20”. Her weight is consistent with her other dimensions, making her easy to for smaller children to handle. The contrast of her bold black and creamy white are eye catching, and flashy little silver “tires” adorn the outside of her wheels. Vanille’s neck and tail are attached to her torso with springs, which create a cheerful and lively motion when she’s pulled by a child.

Vanille moves with a mildly uneven motion to keep that tail and head moving, but it’s only apparent visually – she rolls very smoothly. There is some movement of her body on the axles, which allows her a fluid movement, and may improve her cornering abilities (just a guess). She also transitions nicely from hard floors to carpet. The one struggle that the children have had is that Vanille tips easily when cornering if they’re going fast.

Djeco makes Vanille and her friends from wood and uses non-toxic, child friendly paints. I felt like this was very important, because after a few days of play we noticed that there were chips in the paint on Vanille’s ears. I was able to remove a small amount of additional paint with my nails, but nothing else has come loose.

My 21-month-old twin girls immediately battled over Vanille when she arrived. One of our girls, Lulu, has now claimed Vanille as her own. She likes to pretend she’s a real kitty, walking her and petting her, rolling her around and chatting to her or scolding her. She keeps going back to this toy. Based on how much she loves it, I would recommend it.