“Puppetry is a mechanical extension of one’s imagination, a cabalistic
blend of solid engineering and creative mysticism — a way of controlling
other worlds while critiquing one's own,” according to Sanczere,
an organization dedicated to artists and marionette lovers.
No wonder puppet theaters can be found in many countries, and what better
way for children to make better sense of their surroundings than with
marionettes or puppets to play with in their own homes?
New marionettes from Bohemian Crafts Co.
Wood is Good
Stringed marionettes were developed in Italy in the 1600s. Today, children
and adults alike can choose from a plethora of wooden characters based
on fairy tales, international folk stories and historical figures.
These wooden wonders (Pinocchio included) capture the essence of animals,
ghosts, cooks, accordion players, royalty, fortune-tellers and iconic
figures such as Albert Einstein.
Eskimo Girl
Mermaid
New marionettes from Bohemian Crafts Co. include Betsy
Ross, Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln
and George Washington ($25 each). Other virtually “tangle-free”
Bohemian marionettes range from geisha girls and ballerinas,
to the Nutcracker and a Wizard of Oz Set
(Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Witch).
CzechMarionettes (ToyShow)
offers a huge selection of marionettes, including Kings,
Queens, Jesters, Clowns,
Dragons, Knights, Princes,
Princesses, Fairies, Witches,
and Wizards ($22 and up). They are specially handcrafted,
hand-painted and garbed in hand-sewn clothes, and come from one of the
traditional centers of marionette history.
Tellon Collections Inc. has a Dutch Boy,
Cowboy, Pirate, Eskimo Girl,
and several Clowns ($13.99 each). McGinnis Puppets
recently added Laurel and Hardy ($24.95 each), as well
as a Baker ($14.50).
Bozart's Delilah and Sir Dorric
Many of the latest marionettes are made of sturdy plastic. Bozart
marionettes include the prancing purple Delilah the Unicorn Marionette
($29.99); Sir Dorric the Knight Marionette ($29.99),
complete with armor, shield and sword; and Princess Destiny Marionette
($29.99), a fuchsia-clad goddess with gold crown.
The Sunny & Co. Toys’ 38-inch (ToyDirectory)
Xanadu Zebra, Jane Deer and Suzi
Snow Leopard ($19.95 each) all run through the woods on command.
Their mini-marionette menagerie includes a springy Cheetah
and Fox as well as a White Mutt, Golden
Retriever and Husky ($5.95 each).
All Puppets Are Not Created People
A & A Fancy Zoo Puppets
Folkmanis' Mini Mountain Goat
While marionettes can be traced backed several hundred years, fuzzy hand
and finger puppets are a more recent invention.Elaine
Stein, sales manager of A & A Fancy Zoo, explains how
her clients’ needs changed from stuffed animals to hand puppets.
“Our puppets appear a lot in hospitals. Instead of just plain plush toys,
they requested animals the children could interact with,” said Stein.
“That’s why we created an ‘animal zoo’ of puppets who become like friends
to the children.”
Plush Pup Frog
These popular A & A Fancy Zoo Plush Hand Puppets ($12.99
each) take the shape of wild animals, including a Bear,
Raccoon, Fox, Rabbit,
Squirrel, Skunk and others.
Folkmanis, Inc. (ToyDirectory)
carries out the animal theme with finger puppets ($6 each): Mini
Bear, Mini Eagle, Mini Mountain Goat,
Mini Barn Owl, Mini Porcupine, Mini
Bat and more.
Plush Pups (ToyDirectory)
recently introduced their big-mouth puppet line, 14-inch hand puppets
with moveable mouths. Choose from 11 different animal puppets ($12.95
each), including Cow, Elephant and Frog,
or get the whole set for $142.95.
Lorax Hand Puppet
Green Eggs and Ham
Poly Puppet
Children of all ages go bananas for Axtell Expression’s
line (ToyDirectory)
of primate puppets. Puppeteers can choose from Chimpanzee,
Orangutan and Gorilla models available
in three different sizes (19", $24.95; 24", $39.95; 32",
$69.95).
Professionals and Personalities
Manhattan Toy Company (ToyDirectory)
helps augment the Dr. Seuss reading experience with puppets
like the 10-inch Lorax hand puppet ($16.00). New to the
roster of Seuss puppets this year are finger puppet sets of famed classics
like Green Eggs and Ham, Cat in the Hat and
Horton Hears a Who ($25 each).
Puppet Partners (ToyDirectory)
specializes in multiethnic puppets for use by both children and adults.
These “poly-puppets” let you change their wigs, hats and clothing to become
different personalities. Some of their accessory sets include the
Colonial Girl Accessory Set ($19.99), Poly Puppet Bible
Man Accessory Set ($14.99), Poly Puppet Cowgirl Accessory
Set ($15.99), and Poly Puppet Grandma Simple Accessory
Set ($7.99).
Puppet Factory's Brother and Guy Spy
Puppet Palace
Goodland, Kansas’ Puppet Factory (ToyShow)
has a full line of Bible Puppets ($23 each), as well as
Family and Friend Puppets ($22 each), that help children
learn their lessons through imaginative play. The Brother
puppet keeps his eye on the prize.
Reprint Mint helps children bring their puppet dreams
to life with a puppet theater. Complete with three double-sided backdrops,
the Puppet Palace is the perfect setting to stage shows
for hand puppets or marionettes, and it’s also a great display item for
your puppet section ($99.00).
Writers Bio: Tamara Halbritter has been teaching creative
movement and dance to children for over 15 years. As a professional dancer
and freelance writer, she puts plenty of playtime into her schedule. Currently,
she is writing a book about a gifted pair who see other people’s dreams.
