Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and the new trend is to have a pocket monster. Pokemon, or pocket monsters, hail from Japan and are invading North America.

Children of all ages play Pokemon video games and watch their cartoons. The fad began as a video game in Japan, and soon developed into a television cartoon series.

Many parents approve: They don't find the cute little characters to be overly violent or offensive.

The pocket monsters appeal equally to both the young female and male markets. That broad appeal has helped make them a success. Nintendo Games says it's sold more than 400, 000 games in Canada.

The Pokemon line includes stickers, trading cards and a feature film to open in November.

Parents are still on their guard. Despite cuddly appearances, the Pokemon phenomenon can cause real damage to wallets. A collectible trading card can be bought for as much as $20. For a dedicated collector, this could mean hundreds of dollars a year.

To date, Pokemon has made an estimated $20 million in sales.