9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. As a hand-puppet, Sammy Snail is better able than many toys to express his fabulous personality. He’s the favorite toy of 3-year-old Izzy, whose father Tommaso wrote this delightful description:

“He has a “dolly voice” (falsetto), and has apparently authored most of the books (Snowy Day, by Sammmmmy Keats. Make Way for Ducklings, by Sammmmy Snail, etc etc) and plays most of the music on the radio, according to Izzy Bea. So i guess that means he’s in a band, as he’s often accompanied by his friends sally squirrel, hammie hamster, and swirly elephant (all hand puppets, oddly).”

Now that I think about it, isn’t it suprising that more children don’t connect deeply with puppets? Kids are always playing out scenes from life or imagination with best-loved toys, and how satisfying that interaction must be with a puppet that can be made to move and speak! I loved painting Sammy’s crazy, expressive face and hope to encounter many more quirky puppets in the future.

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