Folkmanis Mini Frog

Review by Warner Holme: I’m far from an expert on puppets, finger or otherwise. That said, I was quite impressed by the Folkmanis Mini Frog when it arrived at my door. Well constructed with a lot of personality, it serves as a delightful example of what a company can produce in soft goods. As with most plush toys and puppets the appearance was an early and important impression.

The little creature is certainly cute, made of soft fabrics and vibrant colors which seem to aspire to a heightened naturalistic appearance. When the frog first appeared before me he had a certain bit of a spitting expression. While a finger puppet and, as such, not really made to be used for mouth articulation the jaw is manipulable to a small degree. As a result it wasn’t difficult to change the expression slightly, to look more open mouthed in general. The fabrics are soft and firm, with a delightful texture that matches the color patterning throughout the object. 

The simplistic bead-like yellow eyes are surprisingly effective, lending to the realistic and animal-like appearance of a wild frog.  This is particularly true in light of the fabric eyelids and bulges surrounding them, all of which look delightfully familiar to anyone who’s ever spent time around a “real” frog. The legs are also quite effective, although some clever stitching is used to create the illusion the back legs are significantly longer than they actually would measure.

This household is by nature frog-puppet friendly, with other animals either treating it or respectfully or ignoring it. By and large the delightful coloration on this small puppet made it a particularly impressive bit of work, although not exactly photorealistic, certainly less cartoony than one might expect. Even the extremely basic stitching for nostrils is surprisingly effective, giving just the faintest impression of a vascular system. Added to the aforementioned impression is the fact that this frog is very much the size someone might find an actual green North American frog. 

On the other hand, the little amphibian’s information tag says it was made in Vietnam, an area whose frogs I’m unfamiliar with. Appropriate to the brand name there is an almost folksy appearance to the design, more professional than what one would see from a normal handmade unit but nonetheless feeling almost bespoke.  The little ones who have seen it have enjoyed it immensely, and I found it staring down local toys and puppets.