Children’s book recall: Reason, affected products, and all you need to know

Over 260,000 children’s books are part of a nationwide recall issued over choking hazard concerns. Recalled by the New York-based publisher, Make Believe Ideas LTD, the affected books are bound by spiral plastic rings that may detach and pose risks of choking if or when swallowed.

Announced on September 21, 2023, the voluntary recall has been initiated in conjunction with Make Believe Ideas LTD, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Health Canada. The books affected by the recall include Animal Counting, Old Macdonald Had a Farm, Dinosaur's First Words, and Unicorn Colors, among others.

The affected Children’s Books may pose risks of a choking hazard (Image via CPSC / Health Canada)

The publisher is already aware of at least two incidents where the spiral plastic rings on the books may have detached. While one of the cases was reported in Australia, the other occurred in the United States. As of now, there are no reports of an injury or any fatalities linked to the recalled children's books.

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Animal Counting, Unicorn’s Colors, and 5 other books part of Make Believe Ideas LTD's children’s books recall

According to the notice issued by Make Believe Ideas LTD, nearly 260,000 children’s books sold in and around the United States are part of the voluntary recall issued over choking hazard concerns. At least 12,900 units of the affected books were also sold across Canada.

The Made-in-China books affected by the recall were available under the following names or titles: Animal Counting, Dinosaur’s First Words, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Rainbow Road Book Box, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Things that Go!, Where’s My Bottom?, and Unicorn’s Colors.

Sold between March 2022 and August 2023, the affected children’s books were available at major retailers, including Sam's Club, Barnes & Noble, and Target, among others.

Additionally, the recalled children's books were also available on Amazon.com, other retail websites, and even at school book fairs in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers may have purchased these books either as a set for over $21 or in individual packs between $10 and $11.

The recalled Children’s Books should be kept away from children (Image via CPSC / Health Canada)

The recalled books can be recognized by checking for the ISBN number printed exactly above the bar code on the back cover:

Book Title	ISBN
Animal Counting	9781803374802
Dinosaur’s First Words	9781803374932 and 9781803372211
Old MacDonald Had a Farm	9781803376790 and 9781803373355
Rainbow Road Book Box	9781803376288
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly	9781803372945 and 9781803371580
Things that Go!	9781803374826
Unicorn’s Colors	9781803374789 and 9781803376622
Where’s My Bottom?	9781803372723 and 9781803376738

Consumers or parents who have purchased the affected children’s books in the last few months are advised to take them away from their children immediately.

You can then contact Make Believe Ideas LTD at 877-206-1091 (1-877-206-1091 for Canada) to receive instructions about the refund process. The publisher can be reached between Monday and Friday, from 07:00 am to 06:00 pm.

It is to be noted that the refund will only be claimable by registering on https://www.recallrtr.com/rr and following the instructions for the disposal of the affected books. Once all the processes are completed, you will receive your refund in the form of a gift card.