Toy Review - Praying Mantis Finger Puppet by Folkmanis

I have always been fascinated by the praying mantis.  Their swiveling heads, spiked forelegs, and big, bulbous eyes seemed cool to me as a kid.  Even as a grown up, I would have to list them high on the list of cool insects.  A lot of people don't think that insects are cool.  Some people don't like "bugs" at all.  Can you believe that?  As much as I like insects in general, and the praying mantis specifically, I never really thought about a praying mantis finger puppet.

Fortunately, the imaginative people over at Folkmanis didn't wait on me to come up with puppet ideas.  The Praying Mantis Finger Puppet is only one of many finger puppets by Folkmanis.  They are all totally cool, but I really like the Praying Mantis.  You wear the Mantis by slipping a finger into what would be the insect's thorax.  The eyes are not exactly where they should be, on a real mantis, but I think that the eyes seem more "approachable" in this configuration; it is almost like it is a friendly, cartoon-like mantis.  The legs are kind of stiff and yet made of soft material, so it won't scratch you like a real mantis would.  It is a full seven inches long - a pretty big finger puppet, if you ask me.  If you like insects at all, or if you know someone who does, pick up a little finger puppet friend today.

For more information about the Praying Mantis, check out the wikipedia entry.