The Elmo Live toy stands to be one of the hottest selling toys on the market this holiday season, and for good reason! The people at Fisher Price have done an awesome job on the latest version of Elmo. Even if you're not a fan (and who doesn't love the furry little red body and bulging white eyes) it won't be hard to appreciate the design and innovation of this cuddly high tech toy.

What is it about the Elmo live toy that makes it unique, you might ask? Well, to start with, this version of Elmo is very interactive. This Elmo has come a long way from the 1996 Tickle Me Elmo version where he would laugh a lot and move a little bit when he was tickled. This newer Elmo has a more life-like quality to him: when he talks his mouth actually moves and it looks like Elmo is really speaking. It's realistic enough to the point where your child may actually believe that Elmo is talking directly to him or her, making for a very personal experience with Elmo.

Not only is Elmo's ability to talk much more refined, but the range of things that he can do has been greatly expanded. This Elmo live toy can sing, dance and tell jokes. He will even sit down on his stool when he's telling a story and use his arm and leg movements to enhance his story telling ability!

Elmo will laugh when you tickle him and if you touch his nose he will pretend that you have taken it and ask for his nose back! Elmo is also able to ask for help if he tips over and will even say 'thank you' when you put him upright again. And this Elmo actually sounds like the same old Elmo that your child is familiar with from Sesame Street.

As you probably know by now, this version of the Elmo live toy is very easy to play with: press his foot and he will sit down on the stool and tell you a story; squeeze his nose and he will make all kinds of silly sounds; squeeze his hand and he will dance. He will tell jokes, blow you kisses and tell you that he loves you.

One of the nice advanced features of the Elmo live toy is that Elmo can power down his own battery supply when he is not being played with. It actually looks like Elmo is about to take a nap- he yawns and says that he is going to sleep. When your child is ready to play with Elmo again, just pick him up and touch one of his buttons and Elmo springs back to life!

There is a down side to the Elmo live toy. Much like its predecessor in 1996, once you've decided that this is the toy for your child, the hardest part might be finding it in the toy stores! Although there are only a few stores now that have to put your request on back order, as the holidays get closer the demand for this toy is going to become stronger. While there will probably be enough Elmo live toys to go around for everyone that wants one, you may have to wait a while before you actually have it in your hands.

Interested in seeing the Elmo Live Toy in action? Then scroll to the bottom of the article and click on the link in the resource box!