Punkinhead facts for kids
Punkinhead, often called "the sad little bear," was a special toy bear. He was made of rubber and had a funny tuft of orange hair that stuck up. A Canadian artist named Charles Thorson created Punkinhead and turned him into a character for children's books.
Punkinhead became famous through a series of books published by the T. Eaton Company. This was a very large department store located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. To help sell the Punkinhead toy bears and the books, Eaton's even made a song about him and sold records of it!
Punkinhead became a big part of Eaton's Christmas ads. In 1947, a Punkinhead character appeared in Toronto's famous Santa Claus parade. You could also find Punkinhead on many different items sold at Eaton's. These included toys, kitchen things like bowls and mugs, furniture such as chairs and rocking horses, and clothes like toques (winter hats) and mittens.
Today, the original Punkinhead dolls and books are quite rare. They have become special items that people like to collect.
The Books of Punkinhead
Punkinhead starred in several children's books. These stories helped make him a beloved character for many years.
- Punkinhead, the Sad Little Bear
- Punkinhead in Santa's Workshop, published in 1950
- Punkinhead and the Christmas Party, published in 1952
- Punkinhead and His Toy Workshop Adventure, published in 1954
- Punkinhead in Animal Valley, published in 1955
- Punkinhead and Jock the Jumper, published in 1960
