“Blow the magic whistle, and he comes to you!”
In the late 1960s, Remco released Tricky Peter Penguin, a sound-actuated toy for young children. Advertised as “A Tricky Whistle Action Toy,” Peter stood 15 inches tall, was made primarily of plastic, and ran on two D-batteries.
Once powered on, Peter was activated by blowing on a look-alike toy whistle that came with the toy. The specific frequency of the whistle set the penguin in motion, causing him to move toward the whistle blast by shuffling from side to side. While moving, Peter’s bill also opened and closed, and he emitted a squawking sound.
Peter’s attentiveness to whistle-based directives lasted about 30 seconds before he stopped on his own, waiting for the next command.
Other toys in the series included Tricky Doodle Duck, Tricky Tommy Turtle, and Tricky Busy School Bus. Like Tricky Peter Penguin, these toys were also set in motion via an included whistle.
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