WHAT'S NEW!

MOTHER HUBBARD PUPPETS

There's a town around here somewhate called Spudbottom. Nice place if you can find it. The residents are friendly for the most part, and the streets are full of strangely familiar faces..

Includes: Old Mother Hubbard, Cabby (Alien Cab Driver), Constable, Doctor, Lucy Cat and Toby Dog. These Hand Puppets have movable arms and are from 11 to 18 inches tall except Toby who has a movable mouth and is 8 inches tall.

AVAILABLE IN A PUPPET SET HERE

OR INDIVIDUALLY HERE

NEW!

FULL-BODY HAND PUPPETS WITH DETACHABLE LEGS

A strip of hook & loop fabric holds each puppet's lower section in place. Remove it and the Full-body Hand Puppet becomes a Half-Body Hand Puppet which many puppeteers prefer for behind the stage operation. Each puppet also comes with an arm rod which can be changed to either hand for expressive movement.

See them all with detailed images HERE

BUY THEM HERE

NEW! INTRODUCING OUR EVEN SMALLER
LITTLE FULL-BODY HAND PUPPETS

These Little Full-Body Hand Puppets stand just 12 inches tall and are perfect for smaller presentations. Easy to work, the puppeteer inserts a thumb into the puppet's left arm, index finger into the head and third finger into the puppet's right arm (reverse left and right for left-handed puppeteers). Mouths do not move but puppets excel at picking up things and moving props. Click on one of the pictures for a larger more detailed view.


Nurse (PP5402)


Dad (PP5302)


Boy (PP5661)


Girl (PP5761)


Bear (PP6004)


Alligator (PP6013)


Horse (PP6052)


Monkey (PP6063)


Cat (PP6073)


Rabbit (PP6232)

PUPPET GALLERY
GINORMOUS INVENTORY

  LOOK FOR THIS SIGN

AMOUNG OUR LISTINGS FOR GREAT SAVINGS ON OUR POPULAR PUPPETS
while quantities last

CLICK HERE TO BAG YOUR OWN

BUILD YOUR OWN PRINCESS PUPPET KIT (3898)

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the most beautiful Princess of them all?" Here is your chance to make your own Puppet Princess "the most beautiful of all." This Pretty Princess Puppet comes with two wigs, two dresses and a royal treasury of sparkling jewelry and accessories for any occasion. She is 8 inches in diameter, 12 inces tall and is very easy to operate. Below are a couple of samples of our Princess in her finery. Just click on an image to see more detail.

SOMETHING IS FISHY HERE!


PUPPET MINISTY STARTER SET

COMPLETE PUPPET SETS

Includes Puppets, Props, CD with Scripts, Teacher's Guide.

Subjects covered include:
The Little Engineer Who Could (Overcoming Fears)
Making Healthy Choices (Nutrition)
Look for the Good in Others (Self-esteem)
Anger is Not for Me (Sportsmanship)
Nicotine and Friends (Substance Abuse)
No Bullies Needed (Courage)
And more...

See them all HERE

NEW HALF-BODY HAND PUPPETS

These wonderful hand puppets have movable mouths and removable clothing.  Each is about 15 inches tall and comes with an arm rod that may be attached to either hand.

See them HERE


Visit Gordon HERE

GORDON GATOR (GS4820)

MORE ABOUT ALLIGATORS THAN YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW
There are only two countries on Earth that have alligators: the United States and China.

The American Alligators normally live along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida as well as Arkansas, Georgia and the Carolinas. However in the last few years, the alligators range appears to be increasing northward. Alligators have been seen as far north as Memphis, Tennessee, presumably arriving there by swimming up the Mississippi River. The majority of American Alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana. In Florida alone there are estimated to be more than one million alligators. The United States is the only nation on earth where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side. American Alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, and swamps, as well as brackish environments.

The Chinese alligator is endangered and lives only in the Yangtze River valley. There are only estimated to be a couple of dozen left in the wild. There are many more of these alligators in zoos around the world than in the wild.

PINOCCHIO NOW IN 3 FLAVORS

Straight from the 1883 novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, we present Pinocchio, the puppet who could not tell a lie (well, actually he could tell a lie but with disastrous consequences).

We have him available as Full-body Ventriloquist-style puppet Pinocchio (GS4908), and a Small Full-body Glove-type puppet Pinocchio (GL1908) and a Small String Puppet Pinocchio (WB1908).

...And that's no lie!

Visit our new

AMERICAN HERITAGE COLLECTION

and check out our new Deluxe Full-body Hand Puppets (click on image or name)

CIVIL WAR GENERAL

DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE



UNCLE SAM (GS2818)

Although Uncle Sam is one of our most familiar icons, many Americans have little or no concept of his origins. If pressed, the average American might point to the early twentieth century and Sam's frequent appearance on army recruitment posters. In reality, however, the figure of Uncle Sam dates back much further.

Uncle Sam is the culmination of a tradition of representative male icons in America which can be traced well back into colonial times. The actual figure of Uncle Sam, however, dates from the War of 1812. The setting was ripe for a figure such as Sam at that point. Previous icons had been geographically specific, centering most often on the New England area. The War of 1812 sparked a renewed interest in national identity which had faded since the revolutionary war.

Like many mythological and symbolic figures, Uncle Sam has origins in actual fact and, in this case, an actual man. Born in Massachusetts, Samuel Wilson settled in the town of Troy, New York. Known locally as "Uncle" Sam, he would be the impetus for a regional saying which would eventually become a national icon.

Uncle Sam Wilson moved to Troy with his brother, Ebenezer, with whom he later began the firm of E. & S. Wilson. It was through this firm, and the war contracts they acquired in 1812, that Sam gained his notoriety. One such contract was for the supply of meats to the Army. Troy residents associated the "U.S." on the sides of the barrels of troop rations with "Uncle Sam" -- who they all knew was feeding the army.

The connection between this local saying and the national legend is not easily traced. As early as 1830, there were inquiries into the origin of the term "Uncle Sam," which first appeared in print in 1813. The connection between the popular cartoon figure and Samuel Wilson of Troy, NY was reported in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1830, and later confirmed by Samuel Wilson's great- and great-great-nephews.

By the early twentieth century, there was little physical resemblance left between Samuel Wilson and Uncle Sam. As a symbol of an ever-changing nation, Uncle Sam had gone through many incarnations. Initially cartoon versions of Sam were very familiar to those of Brother Jonathan. The Civil War saw a major transition in the development of Uncle Sam as his image was associated with that of Abraham Lincoln. It was during this period that Sam aged and acquired a beard.

The final version of Uncle Sam that we are most familiar with today, came about in 1917. The famous "I Want You" recruiting poster by James Montgomery Flagg set the image of Uncle Sam firmly into American consciousness.

Although there continue to be numerous variations on the image of Uncle Sam, the Flagg version can be considered the standard from which others deviate.

"Our" Uncle Sam stands tall at 28 inches among our Deluxe Full-body Hand Puppets with his finely chisled features and detailed "American" costume. In fact, the classic Uncle Sam hat that he wears so regally upon his head does bring his total height to over 32 inches.

Click HERE to see more or to purchase UNCLE SAM.


AMERICAN INDIANS

When Christopher Columbus arrived in the "New World", he described the people he encountered as Indians because he mistakenly believed that he had reached India, the original destination of his voyage. Despite Columbus's mistake, the name Indian (or American Indian) stuck, and for centuries the native people of the Americas were collectively called Indians in America, and similar terms in Europe. The problem with this traditional term is that the peoples of India are, of course, also known as Indians. A usage in British English is to refer to natives of North America as 'Red Indians', though this is an old fashioned usage and considered insulting. The term is also problematic because it propagates the myth of discovery inherent in the Columbus story. Columbus did not discover a "New World" or new peoples. The place and people already existed and the people already had names for the place, themselves, and each other.

The term Native American was originally introduced in the United States by anthropologists as a more accurate term for the indigenous people of the Americas, as distinguished from the people of India. Because of the widespread acceptance of this newer term in and outside of academic circles, some people believe that Indians was outdated or offensive. People from India (and their descendants) who are citizens of the United States are known as Indian Americans.

"Our" American Indians are beautifully costumed Full-body Hand Puppets standing 28 inches tall. We have a boy and a girl from the Great Plains, and also a boy and a girl from the Southwest.

Click HERE to see more or to purchase our AMERICAN INDIANS.

IT'S CARNIVAL

From Mexico and Panama, meet our Street Entertainers (left to right) Carmen Maracas and Hilario Tamales. Carmen is a Folk Dancer while Hilario is a Payaso (clown).

To learn more or to purchase them
click
HERE