By Mia Nutick: I never liked puppets or dolls as a child; there were no Folkmanis when I was a child. I think there’s a direct connection there. When I first saw the Folkmanis line in the stores, I fell in love with the realistic animal puppets. When we began our Treasure Trove section, we were happy to receive Folkmanis puppets for review. Their fantasy puppets are some of the loveliest toys a child — or an adult — could ask for.

The two puppets I received recently are similar in that they are “pop-ups.” Mouse in Shoe is the first of the two, and it’s completely adorable. Five inches long, this very cute finger puppet is perfect for children. The little white mouse disappears entirely inside the shoe; the puppet is operated through a finger hole in the sole of the shoe.

The shoe itself is very realistic. Though made of artificial materials, it almost feels like real leather and suede, but it’s durable enough for a child to play with often. The mouse is less realistic than some of the Folkmanis animals, looking like more of a cartoon mouse with little detail, but he’s pretty cute nonetheless. One of the best things about the Folkmanis are the stories included on the substantial tags attached to the puppets. Mouse in Shoe is accompanied by a Turkish folktale neatly retold by one Madeleine Scott, in which a mouse who lives in a shoe confronts the world with much flash and bravado. I’ll be passing on this toy to a friend’s child, and I’m pretty sure she’ll love it.

The other puppet I claimed from this batch is Genie in Lamp. Genie is a truly beautiful toy. The soft, shiny, gold lamp is 16 inches from the handle to the mouth, and the lid of the lamp has a small velcro closure to keep it secure. The puppet is operated through a hole in the base of the lamp; the hinged lid pops back and the Genie pops up through the opening in the top of the lamp.

The Genie is beautifully crafted, from his green blouse with jeweled cuffs, to his tapestry vest, to his gold jeweled turban. His warm brown eyes are sweet and become expressive with the simple addition of wild, furry black brows. His mouth is covered entirely by a thick black beard, but it is fully operational, as are his hands, and you can make him talk and gesture.

Genie’s tag tells an encapsulated version of “Scheherezade” and then “Aladdin” from the Arabian Nights; obviously it’s a little much to expect a full story on a toy tag but the Folkmanis tags highlight the stories in such a way that I’d expect most children will want to track down the full version of the tale. What a perfect toy to use when telling stories to your children before bed!

Like I said, I didn’t think much of dolls and puppets as a child. Thanks to Folkmanis, I get to recapture a bit of childhood that I missed. I highly recommend these two puppets to anyone, young or old, who enjoys a toy that can stimulate the imagination.

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Cat Eldridge adds: That first photo is taken in my kitchen as there are no images on the net of it.