CONTACT: Elaine Kollias, Folkmanis, Inc.

800.654-8922

elaine @ folkmanis.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AWARD-WINNING FOLKMANIS® PUPPETS CREATE MORE INGENIOUS DESIGNS

(EMERYVILLE, CA—November 29, 2001)  It’s hard to improve on previous work when its quality and innovation have garnered multiple awards, yet the creative team at Folkmanis, with their wonderful imaginations, have managed it again.  Putting together another stellar line-up for spring 2002, they have created some of their best puppets yet.

“We’ve pulled a little from our love of the mystical, the magical and the beautiful to put together a line-up that has something for everyone -- girls, boys, young and old,” says Judy Folkmanis, co-founder and creative director.  “This year’s puppets will once again reiterate why Folkmanis is the world’s favorite puppet company.”

The wondrous, mythical GRIFFIN is half lion and half eagle, and stands 20-inches long.  Created from realistic plush, the body of the beast emulates a lion’s fur, while the wings, chest, and head are made of longer-haired plush to look like feathers.  Add gold claws, moveable beak and tongue, and this king of the skies and earth becomes a puppet that will bring forth hours of creative imagination and endless amounts of play.  

AGE APPROPRIATENESS: 5 and up

AVAILABILITY: Spring 2002

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $50

All the beauty of the imagination has been captured in the three, six-inch tall finger puppet FAIRIES—Flower, Sugar Plum and Snow.  The angelic wings are complete with sparkles of gold and silver accenting sheer fabric.  The FLOWER Fairy has a yellow skirt and gold bodice with rosette-decorated ribbons around her ankles and waist.  She has long, yellow yarn hair.  SUGAR PLUM wears a lovely lavender-colored skirt with a silver bodice, ribbons on her ankles and in her short, curly dark hair.  Her skin fabric is bronze.  The SNOW beauty is dressed in a white skirt and blue bodice. She has long brown yarn hair, with ribbons around her ankles.

AGE APPROPRIATENESS: 3 and up

AVAILABILITY: Spring 2002

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $10 each  

Folkmanis’ elegant PALOMINO HORSE combines the loveliness of a vintage horse with the realism for which Folkmanis is famous.  At 20-inches long, the dappled Palomino puppet is in a lying-down position with a moveable, bendable spine in the neck and back to make it poseable.  She has vinyl hooves and nose, and a beautiful light blonde mane and tail created from doll hair, which adds the fun of “hair-play”.  White socks on her front legs and a small white snip on her nose make this Palomino queen of the stable

AGE APPROPRIATENESS: 3 and up

AVAILABILITY: Spring 2002

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $33  

Three years ago, Folkmanis began making super-large puppets and has had tremendous success, winning awards each year for these extra-special creations, including the 30-inch TIGER, 30-inch GOLDEN RETRIEVER, 23-inch PANDA, and 48-inch RED DRAGON.  With such overwhelming success, the company has shrunk these larger-sized puppets to about one-third their original sizes (the popular full-sized versions are still available).  So, for Spring 2002, smaller hands can experience the wonder and delight of the award-winning big guys without being totally overwhelmed by the size. 

AGE APPROPRIATENESS: 3 and up

AVAILABILITY: Spring 2002

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE:   RED DRAGON and TIGER—$20

                                               GOLDEN RETRIEVER and PANDA—$24

Folkmanis® Puppets are recommended for ages 3 and up and are available at specialty toy and gift stores, including: FAO Schwarz, Discovery Channel Store, science/nature museums, zoo and aquarium gift shops, thousands of independent toy and gift stores, and specialty retailers nationwide and in over 15 countries around the world.  BABY FOLKMANIS® puppets are appropriate for all ages, birth and up.  You can also find Folkmanis® Puppets online at Amazon.com.  For more information call Folkmanis at 800.654-8922 or go to www.folkmanis.com .

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