Allmark says the recall was "fast-tracked, " which allowed the company to quarantine two-thirds of the toys before they even made it to store shelves.

NPR: Big Bird, Elmo Hit in Latest 'Made in China' Recall

Allmark said the recall was troubling because Fisher-Price has had a long-standing relationship with the Chinese vendor, which had applied decorative paint to the toys.

NPR: Big Bird, Elmo Hit in Latest 'Made in China' Recall

The problem with the recalled toys was detected by an internal probe and reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, David Allmark, general manager of Fisher-Price, told The Associated Press Wednesday.

NPR: Big Bird, Elmo Hit in Latest 'Made in China' Recall