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