Customer Reviews

Folkmanis Puppet Monkey

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just to show how much imagination is in a good stuffed toy puppet...

The two other reviews use their monkeys to educate and help get the kids to behave. Funny; I collect monkeys and this particular little guy is the biggest troublemaker we've got! Ours is lifelike enough that I've come home only to find our monkey swinging from the chandelier, or sacked out on the sofa eating all of our bananas.

Regardless, this is a wonderful toy. Everyone responds positively to this little creature. Actually, that's true of just about all of Folkmanis' puppets. I haven't found one that isn't delightful.

"Monkey" as my daughter has named "him", without a doubt, has been the most treasured and loved toy we ever purchased. We bought "Monkey" on a whim as a distraction for our then, one year old daughter, while we were shopping. It was our hope that he would amuse her long enough for us to finish our holiday shopping and drive the two hours home; at which time we figured he would end up in the pile of misplaced toys in her room. We were suprised however, when a simple bribe gift turned into a friend that she took wherever she went. It has been three years now and "Monkey" is still her constant companion, at school for naptime, on over-nights with grandparents and of course on all of our excursions. This little puppet has been loved so much in fact, most of his fur has been lost, but still he remains her favorite. In fact, while writing her letter to Santa today, she asked for another monkey, so that the original would have a friend to help take care of him. In my opinion, any toy that aids in teaching our children love and compassion, is worth every penny and more (including this long review of praise at 3:00am while searching for a new monkey).

I bought this monkey puppet for my wife's birthday more than five years ago. My wife likes stuffed animals, but the real reason I bought it was because this little monkey is so cool looking that I found him irresistible. He has a happy yet mischievous look on his face that is very alluring. I basically enjoyed my wife's present so much that I made the stuffed animal into a kind of family pet; I even gave him a name - Ruffigan. Ruffigan traveled with us on airplanes around the country - the flight attendants thought he was riot.

Over time, the monkey faded in color a little bit, probably because we sometimes left him out in the sun in the car. I actually came to prefer the light brown coloration to his original dark brown; I treated the lightening like my own natural aging! Overall, the puppet held up extremely well. His fur remained completely intact, and his shape became like a glove that fit perfectly on my hand.

When our first child was born, Ruffigan became an instant favorite. The oval shape of his face was perfect for our baby to chew on. She also adored his expression, kicking strongly when she saw little Ruffigan. Our friends commented how much "she loves that monkey." I think she also liked the imaginary personality that I had developed for Ruffigan (a kind of rowdy and slightly "bad" little monkey . . . but that is another story).

I lost Ruffigan at the mall last Christmas (we brought him with us for a photo with our daughter). I really felt like an old and dear friend had died. Since then, we've bought another monkey puppet, which our daughter also loves. I don't think she noticed any change. But I did, and I still miss Ruffigan, even though in quality the new puppet is identical.

Clearly, I very strongly recommend this product. I don't imagine that many others will end up treating the monkey like a pet in the way that I did, but I am sure that this little puppet can brighten the days for a lot of children.

We have several Folkmanis puppets including this monkey. My kids (both preschoolers) have been playing with this toy off and on for over a year and a half. It shows very little wear. Their favorite game is "pull the monkey's tail" which should tell you how durable it is. The fur is wonderfully soft, it's easy to make it come off as expressive. It is a little large for small hands to work. ...I have been so pleased with the quality of this company's product that I don't mind spending a little bit more or searching for them.

I bought this toy (the same but with different fur) for my son when I returned from a trip about five years ago. It is by far the best and best-loved toy I ever gave him. My son has slept and traveled with his monkey and entertained us with him almost daily. Monkey has also performed in several school assignments to the delight of the class. The monkey provides a voice for my well-behaved son's mischievous side and has given me insight into his conflicts. It has been loved ragged. Today I am buying a fresh monkey at my son's request so that he will have one in good condition to keep forever.

My first Folkmanis monkey puppet was lovely - soft and velvety fur, cute and sweet, overall very high-quality. I actually gave this puppet away to a friend's child, thinking I could easily order another that would be just as good as that one. My mistake! The second was clearly inferior to the old puppets in every way - scratchy fur that could be pulled out easily, a smaller body than the first (not extremely, but enough - my hand fit easily into the first, while the second was a tight fit). Not only that, but the monkey just didn't look right - not as cute, strange color, etc. I called the company and they basically told me that sometimes they change the fur and there's nothing anyone could do about it. I was really disappointed in them, especially as I had previously had nothing but great experiences with Folkmanis puppets. I recently went to the Folkmanis website and the monkey puppet is advertised as having "velvety fur" - so either enough people complained that they went back to the original design, or they're not being truthful. Your best bet is check out the puppet at a toy store if you can, or be prepared to send it back if you don't like the quality.

I have been a teacher of preschoolers for over 20 years(special needs for the past 14 years) and have had a variety of puppets but this one (he is CoCo in Ms. Pam's Playschool) is sooooo real. He comes out just to teach specific preacademic skills and attention is riveted on him. Even I sometimes forget he isn't real! I would get another one but I am concerned with sibling rivalry since CoCo is just getting adjusted here!

This is one darn good puppet, I have to say. It can be controlled with one hand very easily, with the thumb and pinky driving the arms and the other fingers working the mouth. What this does is not only make it fun to use, but you can give it a lot of personality through it's movements. Plus ya gotta admit it's just so darn cute.

I own one, and I would suggest buying it to entertain young'ns or even to goof off with other people. It's as fun as a real monkey, but without the poop flinging.

Oh My God! I was so surprised to see our beloved monkey for sale on Amazon. I bought a monkey just like this when my daughter was about 1 month old. Suddenly, around her first birthday, she decided he was way cooler than the rest of her animals, and they have been inseparable ever since! Our monkey is really like a member of the family -- this monkey puppet's got personality a plenty. I even had to buy a back-up duplicate monkey, just in case something ever happens to ours. Which I certainly hope never happens. It's an awesome monkey!

I agree...I just bought this puppet at FAO Schwartz...incredible...best toy my 2 year old has ever had...plus if i make the puppet tell my son what to do, he always listens to the monkey...so real and workable that my son feels he is in the monkey's world...