Recommended with the note: buy a battery organizer at the same time.

Parents wanting a gentle intro to interactive toys, caregivers looking for an empathy-building gift, collectors of cute plush electronics. Who should skip: Families needing educational content, anyone without easy access to AAA batteries, or those who despise repetitive cute noises.

There’s also a when you hold Sweetie against your chest — a surprisingly effective emotional touch. It’s subtle, not mechanical-sounding. When you stop holding the toy close, it emits a soft sad tone after about 20 seconds, encouraging the child to “reassure” it. This feature is clearly designed to teach empathy, and it worked well in our testing.