Indiginous Crafts From Bolivia is a company started by Sue Berlove when following her dream of connecting with an artisan group from a developing country, purchasing their crafts and selling them in Canada. The idea appealed to her because it seemed practical, tangible and achievable; a way to combine her enterprising skills and helping values. In 2004 she travelled to Bolivia with a small group of Canadian women where she was able to make those connections. She returned with suitcases full of the crafts she had purchased and launched my new business.

One of her main products carried on Sue’s site are 3 Bags Full finger puppet pouches. Each set includes 8 animal finger puppets which snap into the painted scene on the front of a lovely knit carrying pouch. They area available in six themes— Arctic, Farm, Garden, Jungle, Ocean, Woods —and each theme’s pouch is specific to that habitat. These sets are appropriate for independent play for children 3 and up and are a great interactive educational resource for professionals and parents to use with children from birth to 6. Finger puppets are ideal for story telling, dramatic play, singing, language development and promoting early literacy and are great for home use as well as in daycares & dayhomes, and classrooms.

We checked out the Jungle theme, which came with a crocodile, elephant, giraffe, lion, monkey, parrot, tiger, and zebra. The puppets are very well made and the pouch is stunning in design and quality. They fit both a child’s and an adult’s finger well, and the designs are just perfect for free play and early literacy use. They retail for $40/set.