Happy Birthday Sophie La Girafe!

Little French teething toy Sophie la Girafe will be 49 years old on 25th May, St Sophie’s day (after which she is named).

This classic and timeless toy has charmed the world in the last few years and is now a best selling baby toy in the US, Canada and UK.

Born in France in 1961 nearly every French baby receives a Sophie – it’s just the tradition there – but it was only about 5 years ago that French manufacturer Vulli decided to start sharing the Sophie la Girafe phenomenon with the rest of the world.

In the UK this year it is estimated that more than 50,000 babies will chomp, chew, drool and squeak on a Sophie the Giraffe toy – not bad when you consider you couldn’t buy one here 4 years ago and she’s not available in any of the big retailers.

So why do UK babies and their parents love Sophie so much? Part of Sophie’s charm is her retro look, indeed she’s not changed since she was created. She’s seen as safe - natural rubber and food grade paint – so no PVC, BPA, Phthalates or other nasties lurking here.

She’s also an affordable piece of luxury. You may not be able to stretch to the mega-priced yummy mummy push chair that various celebs are spotted with, but at £11.00, Friendly Baby's special price, you can have the same toy and join that exclusive club shared by Sofia Coppola, Isla Fisher, Nicole Richie and Naomi Watts, among others.

But the real appeal is that she genuinely works – babies just can’t seem to get enough of this toy. No marketing hype, no million pound advertising budget…just mums and dads passing on the word to others.

So, with Sophie’s 50th birthday just a year away it will be interesting to see whether she’ll be around in another 50 years… and if she is, Sophie la Girafe will surely be one of the most enduring and best loved baby toys ever made.