Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys, including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters, because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.

The recall involves 967,000 plastic preschool toys made by a Chinese vendor and sold in the United States between May and August. The recall is the first for Fisher-Price Inc. and parent company Mattel Inc. involving lead paint.

Under current regulations, children's products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

Fisher-Price and the government sought to withhold details from the public until Thursday to give stores time to get suspect toys off shelves.

Fisher-Price also issued statements saying parents should keep suspect toys away from children and contact the company. Owners of a recalled toy can exchange it for a voucher for another product of the same value.

To see pictures of the recalled toys, visit www.mattel.com.

For more information, call Mattel's recall hot line at 800-916-4498.

CHINESE-MADE TOYS DANGEROUS?

Fisher-Price recall is the latest in a wave of recalls that has heightened global concern about the safety of Chinese-made products.

In June toy maker RC2 Corp. voluntarily recalled 1.5 million wooden railroad toys and set parts from its Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway product line. The toys, also made in China, contained lead in the paint.

"Anytime a company brings a banned hazardous product into the U.S. marketplace, especially one intended for children, it is unacceptable," said Nancy Nord, acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "Ensuring that Chinese-made toys are safe for U.S. consumers is one of my highest priorities and is the subject of vital talks currently in place between CPSC and the Chinese government."