The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a recall of over 300,000 Chinese-made items over amounts of lead paint.
The recall includes about 250,000 Spongebob Squarepants address books and journals because they may have excessive levels of lead paint on their metal spiral bindings.
The commission said the books were sold at stores across between June 2006 and July 2007 for about $2.
The CPSC also issued a voluntary recall of Thomas and Friends and Curious George spinning tops and pails because paint on their wooden handles might have had unacceptable amounts of lead.
Lead paint can cause brain damage in children when ingested.
The latest round of recalls involving goods made in China comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese exports following Mattel's recall of millions of toys last week - including 436,000 die-cast toy cars because their paint may have contained too much lead.
Chinese officials say the vast majority of China's goods meet quality standards despite concerns over the safety of its food, drugs, tyres and toothpaste exports.