This Year's 'It' Toy: Zhu Zhu Pets

The year's "must-have" toy has been crowned. For the uninitiated, Zhu Zhu Pets are electronic hamsters. They typically cost under $10, but stores are selling out quickly and prices are soaring online. Witness the coronation:

• BusinessWeek: "Remember the Cabbage Patch Kids craze? The Tickle Me Elmo frenzy? Meet their 2009 brethren, Zhu Zhu Pets."

• ABC News: "The cuddly, on-the-go hamsters who squeak, roll, even drive their own cars, are on their way to becoming the holiday season's 'must-have' toy."
• New York Times: "The hottest toy this holiday season is not a ticklish red monster. It’s a fake hamster."
• CBS News: "The hottest holiday toy doesn't come from one of the mega toy makers. It's made by the little St. Louis-based Cepia company."

(More Zhu Zhu Pets stories.)