Consider it a cross between a teddy bear and a video iPod. The iTeddy -- which has already garnered numerous international toy awards -- will be available for U.S. preschoolers early next month.

We got our hands on one and were impressed with this hybrid invention. Manufactured by the UK’s Vivid Imaginations and distributed domestically by Zizzle, the iTeddy is a plush beige bear with an orange shirt. When you lift up the garment, underneath you’ll find a color LCD screen, speakers and a few white buttons. That’s because the iTeddy, as the name suggests, offers multimedia playback, including video clips (MP4 files), music, children’s stories (MP3), photos, and games.

A handful of videos, photos, and games are already on the bear, but a proprietary USB cable that's included with the toy connects the iTeddy ($89.99) to a PC, and you can use it to change the digital content and recharge the media player at the same time.

The embedded memory maxes out at 512MB, but an SD card can be installed by twisting the console counterclockwise and using a Philips screwdriver to open a compartment on the back. In fact, the entire media player detaches from the bear and can be used on its own.

While we would’ve preferred a larger screen than the 1 x 1.8-inch display, my three young kids (twin 6-year-olds and a 4-year-old) didn’t seem to mind the tiny viewing area. My kids also caught on to the button layout fairly quickly: volume (up and down), forward and back, play and stop.

While not advertised, the same port used to sync iTeddy with a PC can be used as a headphone jack, too (perfect for the backseat).

For those of you aiming to be the best-loved aunt or uncle around, the iTeddy is a Target exclusive and will be available in early October.