Folkmanis Puppets
Folkmanis Puppets
1985? Frog puppet with attached Aesop's fable "Is There A Doctor In the Pond?" Puppets With a Tale: Folktails" series by Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Made in Korea. Gift of Margaret Carlson Lytton, Christmas, '90. Extra exemplar with a detached card from a flea market, August, ’10.
The card attached to this frog in the “Puppets With a Tale” series tells the story of the frog who suddenly announced to the animals that he was a physician. A clever fox retorted “Well, I’m certainly no doctor, but it looks to me like YOU certainly could use one.” He elaborates on the frog’s nervous, jumpy behavior, his sick sounding croaking, crooked legs, and blotched and wrinkled skin. The four paws have patches of Velcro to put legs together. A clever manipulator can get fingers into the upper and lower jaws as well as both front legs.
1990? Pig puppet with attached Aesop's fable "The Pig and the Sheep." Puppets with a Tale: Folktails: Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Made in Korea. Gift of John and Susan Carlson, Christmas, 1991.
The tale on the card attached to this puppet tells of the pig who happened among sheep and was upbraided for all his squealing when the shepherd caught him. The pig answers the sheep: “He nly wants you for your wool, but he wants me for bacon.” A clever manipulator can get fingers into all four legs and the face.
1990? Grasshopper puppet with attached Aesop's fable "The Grasshopper and the Ants." "Folktails" series by Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Made in Korea.
As the tag shows on this puppet in excellent condition, the puppet is meant to recall GA. The version attached to this delightful little fellow has the ants answering at the end of the fable: "If you were foolish enough to sing all summer, then you will have to go to bed without any supper in the winter." I have never seen that ending before. Two well-formed rear legs are nicely filled out, but the manipulator of this puppet has four front legs to control with four different fingers. As often in Folkmanis creations, the eyes are excellently rendered.
1990? Lion Hand Puppet. Made by Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. $20 from Courtney Ritter, Homer, MI, through eBay. August, ’11.
As the tag shows on this puppet in excellent condition, the puppet is meant to recall AL. This Folkmanis hand-puppet stands out from the others by its sheer size. From nose to hind quarters – without even counting the tail – it measures 18”. The insertion point for a manipulator’s hand is cleverly put just at the base of the mane.
1995? Crow Hand Puppet. Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., ‘11
The tag of this critter is lost, if there ever was one. This puppet allows not only a hand in the body and head of the crow, but a hand in each of his wings. The lovely beady black eyes are lost in the lush feather covering of this creature!
1995? Monkey Hand Puppet. Furry Folk and Folktales: Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Unknown source.
As the tag shows on this puppet in excellent condition, the puppet is meant to recall “The Monkey and the Crocodile.” This is the “I left my heart at home in a tree” story. A puppeteer’s hand can move head and both arms of this decidedly happy creature. His mouth is quite fixed in a nice smile.
1995? Mouse Hand Puppet. Puppets with a Tale: Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. $6.50 from Rene Hebert, Manlius, NY, through eBay, Feb., ’04.
The tag on this puppet tells BC. The puppet is similar in size and shape to the Folkmanis pig puppet above. As in that puppet, a good puppeteer here can use all five fingers on the mouse’s face and four legs. The ears are particularly well fashioned.
2000? Tortoise Hand Puppet. Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., '16. One extra exemplar.
The tag on this puppet tells TH in a different from Aesopic form. This is the story in which the hare constantly sees tortoise ahead of him. Of course, the tortoise had alerted his relatives the night before to come out and walk through the riverbed when they heard the hare coming. This puppet is the right size for an adult hand. All four legs have room for fingers. The tortoise shell has a good stiffness to it.