Mattel will recall nearly one million toys that were manufactured in China because they might contain excessive levels of lead paint. The plastic preschool toys from Fisher-Price included popular characters like Dora, Big Bird, Elmo, and Diego, among others from Sesame Street and Nickelodeon.

The recall is the latest in a string of safety problems U.S. manufacturers have had that highlight the substandard manufacturing quality from some Chinese factories.  

Mattel is known for its stringent quality control, and it says it has used the same Chinese manufacturer for 15 years, according to the Wall Street Journal. "They dropped the ball," said Jim Walter, Mattel's senior vice president of worldwide quality assurance.

The recall includes 83 different toys manufactured between April 19 and July 6. The lead paint was brought to Mattel's attention by one of its retailers, according to the Journal.

Mattel said it plans to take a $30 million charge related to the recall.

In January, 1.5 million Thomas and Friends toy trains were recalled because of similar issues.

Related Links:

• AP: Fisher-Price to Recall Nearly 1M Toys
• Bloomberg: Mattel Recalls Lead-Tainted Toys Made in China
• NYT: Lead Paint Prompts Mattel to Recall 967,000 Toys