Mom buys Mini-Brands toy at Target. Then she sees one that is definitely not kid-friendly: ‘Colleen Hoover is NOT for children’ 

Kids’ toys don’t usually come with adult-sized problems. However, this was the case for one mom, who says she wasn’t expecting hers to come with a conversation about adult romance novels. The controversy started when she bought her 7-year-old a Mini Brands collectible book from Target.

These toys are miniature replicas of actual novels that include readable pages and a magnifying glass. Everything was harmless at first. Then Tam’s (@basic_mom_moments) daughter returned with an unexpected complaint: she couldn’t read it because it “wasn’t appropriate.”

Curious, the mom took a look herself and quickly realized the miniature book wasn’t exactly written with elementary school readers in mind. Now she’s questioning why products marketed toward children can contain excerpts from books with decidedly adult themes. Meanwhile, viewers are split between blaming the brand and insisting parents should have known who Colleen Hoover is.

What Are Mini-Brands Books?

Mini-Brands Books are miniature versions of either well-known classics or recent top-selling novels. They’re only as big as a couple of inches, but only the first few pages or so are actually readable. The rest of the pages are in a made-up font.

The blind-box-type plastic balls come with three surprise miniature novels, along with a magnifying glass and a bookmark. Using the magnifying glass, the first pages can be read.

The site claims to have over 40 collectible books. The company, Zuru Toys, creates miniature versions of other items, such as frozen food items, cooking appliances, and art materials. On the distributor’s website, such as Walmart, the item is labeled as a “Surprise Toy for Kids, Teens & Adults Ages 3+ by ZURU.” 

What Did This Min-Brands Book Say?

Like many kids, Tam’s daughter loves reading and asked to get Mini-Brands books. Neither mom nor daughter could have predicted a four-part saga with a combined 4.8 million views.

Tam’s daughter spent her hard-earned cash from selling lemonades and bought a bling capsule, meaning she wouldn’t know what books she would get until opening it. Tam notes that the books she got were “Moby Dick,” “Sherlock Holmes,” and “Without Merit.” It wasn’t until the next day that Tam’s daughter approached her and told her, “Mommy, I can’t read this book anymore, it’s inappropriate.”

At first, Tam assumes she either means inappropriate, as in silly, like ‘butt’ or ‘dumb,’ which her daughter isn’t allowed to use at home. Except, it’s far worse than that. The last line on the first page of “Without Merit” reads: “I was enjoying his hand on my boob.”

The novel was written by Colleen Hoover, a famous author who writes mature novels, definitely not made for children to read. Tam confirms she did not know who Hoover was before the start of this debacle.

What Does Tam Do Next?

First and foremost, Tam is upset that Target and Zuru Toys market these items for children. She says she doesn’t expect to vet items she gets from the toy section in Target. She doesn’t like how it is marketed for both adults and children when it could be clearly separated into two different target groups.

“My daughter is seven,” she rants, “and I had to have a kind of weird conversation with her about that, that I wasn’t really ready to have.”

Tam blames the company’s carelessness for having to have ‘the talk’ with her daughter earlier than anticipated. She ends the video by demanding that Target and Zuru Toys provide an explanation.

@basic_mom_moments I’m literally speechless. ? Check your kids' Mini Brands books, parents. I cannot believe what I just read in a toy for my 7-year-old. @ZURU @Target please explain this. #Parenting #MiniBrands #momlife #Target #fyp ♬ original sound – the_real_tamtam

Does the Company Respond?

In the following clips, Tam makes sure to keep her viewers updated with the situation. At first, the company simply responded with what she calls “corporate garbage.”

They responded that the “ages three and up” label was for choking hazards, not content. However, they admitted that they messed up with the inappropriate content. They accepted her feedback and said they would work on it internally. Finally, they offered her a gift box filled with Zuru Toys for her daughter. Tam says she’ll accept it and check if they made sure to send kid-friendly items this time. 

After Tam sends back her dissatisfied response, Zuru Toys reaches out again and confirms that they are ceasing future productions of Colleen Hoover books. Not only that, but they also claim that there will be tighter quality control checks before releasing any other future versions.

Tam admits she is satisfied with the response as they took accountability and are undertaking changes in the company. She shares that she also contacted Target, but she has not heard back yet. However, a viewer commented on Tam’s clip and shared that it seems the books are being recalled.

Tam doesn’t think they’re gone forever but believes that there will be a change in the way Zuru Toys markets their products. 

The Mary Sue reached out to Tam, Zuru Toys and Target via email.

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