HOT TIPS HOPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.

Meet Sydney Kangaroo, the latest bouncing, baby bean-filled collectible plush toy of the ``Cushy Critter'' line to land stateside.

But here's the kicker: Before this month, you could get this cuddly reddish brown macropod with oversized feet only in Australia. And now its run in America will be only for a limited time at independent stores - including some Hallmark outlets and Longs drugstores - which specialize in gift items, greeting cards, toys and stationery, as well as florists and hospitals.

Purr-Fection By MJC - an Oregon-based, family-owned plush toy manufacturer - debuted Sydney in January exclusively for the land Down Under, but company execs later jumped at bringing Sydney to the United States after Australian quantities sold well.

True to its roots, Sydney sports two Australian flags in a ribbon around its neck and iron-on emblem on the left foot. It sells for about $6 suggested retail. Web shoppers also can find Sydney at www.freebears.com, one of Purr-Fection's largest Internet retailers. Sydney will also make an appearance July 15-18 at the summer toy show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

- Angela Lemire

Stitchery at cross purposes

When Rosie the Riveter rolled up her sleeves nearly 60 years ago in the famous ``We Can Do It!'' poster of World War II, she was getting ready to build another Allied bomber or tank. Cross-stitching was the furthest thing from her mind.

But Rosie is really in stitches now - in a cross-stitch kit designed and marketed by the Posy Collection. Timed to coincide with the opening of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans this summer, the patriotic cross-stitch kit features a determined Rosie rolling up her sleeves, ready to go to work for the war effort.

Designed by Barbara Bangser, with a finished size of 7 1/2 by 10 inches on 14-count fabric, the nostalgic kit is a version of the poster that encouraged 1940s women to join the work force. The Rosie kit - which includes fabric, DMC floss, needle, chart and instructions, plus a color photo of the finished product - is available for $25 from the Posy Collection, 105 Hickory Drive, Murray, Ky. 4207 or via the Internet at www.posycollection.com.

- Carol Bidwell

Memories are made of this

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? I'm bored.

The freedom of summer vacation always turns to boredom at some point. The antidote: ``My Father and Me'' and ``My Mother and Me'' scrapbooks (Kids Can Press; $4.95). These colorful, engaging memory scrapbooks promise hours of entertainment for kids ages 5 and up. There are similar titles for grandparents.

For more involved activities (say summer vacation at Grandma's house), ``The Kids and Grandparents Activity Book'' (Kids Can Press; $17.95) offers several weeks of entertaining activities - from mapping a family tree to forgotten games such as ``Cat's Cradle.''

The books all feature plenty of room to write, color and paste in pictures.

- Phil Davis

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Photo: (1) no caption (Sydney Kangaroo)

(2) no caption (We Can Do It! poster)

(3 -- 4) no caption (Book covers - My Father and Me, My Mother and Me)