Holiday Gift Guide: Ugly Dolls

If you're like us, you're still out there looking for Christmas gifts, and one of our picks this holiday season is the Ugly Doll. These hip and huggable stuffed toys are favorites with many kids, ours included. They're not really ugly, even with their fangs, buck teeth, and missing eyes—they're actually pretty cute—and each one has its own distinct look, personality, and back story. Designed by a husband-and-wife artist team, these adorable and hilarious plush toys are even a hit with older kids who wouldn't be caught dead lugging around a teddy bear.

Ugly Dolls are available in a range of sizes, including clip-ons (about 4 inches tall, ideal for clipping to a backpack zipper pull, and perfect for a stocking stuffer), Little Uglys (about 7 inches), Classic (12 inches), and Jumbo (24 inches). Prices range from $6 to $40, depending on size and availability.

You'll find literally dozens of different Ugly Doll characters in different sizes, shapes, and colors, and part of the fun of shopping for them is trying to figure out which ones best fit your children's personalities. That's our ever-expanding team of Ugly Dolls in the photo above, hanging out on our living room sofa. From left to right: Gerry Berry, clip-on Ninja Batty Shogun, Little Ugly Suddy, Classic Brip, and clip-on Puglee .

Over the years the "Uglyverse," as the Ugly Doll world is called, has expanded to include games, tin toys, action figures, books, pillows, housewares, iPhone cases, and more. Ugly Dolls are available at your local independent toy store, like Five Little Monkeys in Old Town Novato. You can also order them online at Amazon.com or their official website, www.uglydolls.com.