Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've bought quite a few Melissa & Doug toys for our kids and I'm usually impressed by the quality and durability of their products. We even have a bunch of their other puzzles and they're fantastic; big, vibrant, durable, with a snug fit between pieces. My preschooler absolutely loves the T-REX 48 pc Floor Puzzle and the Dinosaurs 48-Piece Floor Puzzle. I bought this U.S. Map puzzle with high expectations, but was sorely disappointed. With this puzzle, it is critical that the blue border surrounding the states stay together, because the individual states are shaped like, well, states so they won't stay contained unless the enclosing frame stays put. It doesn't. The big blue edge pieces are slightly warped (maybe this is because they are so big) and they don't stay together at all. Not even on a hardwood floor. And with the outer pieces just itching to spring apart at the slightest touch, arranging the states inside is a challenge even for me. It's hopeless for my kids. It's a shame that this flaw in completely ruins this puzzle, because otherwise it would be great. It's big and colorful, with interesting and educational pictures on the states that engage my kids. My kids and I tried to assemble it a few times before giving up on it altogether. Now Texas is a frisbee and Maine is exploring the dusty recesses under our hallway bookshelf.