August 4, 2003 - The following product safety recall was conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Happyvillagers Toy Sets

Units: 3,250 sets (12 villagers per set)

Manufacturer: HearthSong, of Madison, Va.

Hazard: The head can detach from the body of the villagers, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: No injuries have been reported.

Description: The Happyvillagers are made with birchwood and painted with various villager images. The sets were sold separately with 12 villagers per set and as a part of the Happyville Special set that included a set of 35 Happyville Blocks. Only the Happyvillagers are included in the recall.

Sold At: HearthSong sold the toy trucks through their catalog and Web site from Sept. 30, 2002 through March 11, 2003 for about $15.

Manufactured In: China

Remedy: Consumers should take the Happyvillagers away from young children immediately and return to HearthSong for a full refund including the cost of postage. Send the Happyvillagers to HearthSong, Attn: Returns, 3700 Wyse Road, Dayton, OH 45414-2541.

Consumer Contact: Call toll-free at (888) 623-6557 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.