• The New York Times, Thursday, August 2, 2007 10:30 AM

Mattel is recalling 967,000 toys--covering 83 products--that were covered with lead paint by a contract manufacturer in China from April 19 to July 6. Many of the toys feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters, including the Elmo Tub Sub, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, and the Giggle Gabber, a toy that toddlers shake to hear giggles and funny noises.

Mattel says it prevented more than two-thirds of the affected toys from reaching consumers by stopping the products in its distribution centers and contacting retailers late last week. But consumers in the U.S have bought more than 300,000 of the tainted toys.

In light of the recalls, Nickelodeon--which owns the characters Dora the Explorer and Diego--has decided to introduce a third-party monitor to check up on all of the companies that make toys under its brands. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the "Sesame Street" program, is considering adding third-party testing.

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