Kersa Classic: light figures with a sewn fabric head
Each Classic head is embroidered, shaped and then painted by hand. Anyone used to Punch and Judy puppets with wooden heads will notice the difference at once: a Classic figure weighs next to nothing. The series was made by Kersa, a family business founded in 1925.
The characters and their parts
Baker Leo carries a sack of flour, so the audience knows at a glance who bakes the village bread. If his pretzels vanish overnight, suspicion soon falls on Rudi the rat, a sly fellow who can talk his way out of any scrape. Lissi the little mouse is the rat's opposite. Quick on her feet and always ready to help, she comes up with the vital clue just in time.
Viking Snorre brings seafaring and adventure to the stage, sometimes as the baker's ally, sometimes as his rival. Before he sets sail he needs provisions, which gives the baker an order and the rat an opportunity.
In many stories the cow is the easy-going one who notices the commotion last and gets the laughs for it. With her movable mouth she can moo and have her say.
From the kitchen table to the classroom
Because the figures are so light, children hold them through a whole scene without effort. A grown-up often plays first at home, letting Baker Leo or the cow pop up over the edge of the table until the children want a turn. In kindergarten and pre-school groups, the cow and Baker Leo fit many project themes: she goes with the farm, he goes with jobs and the harvest festival. A short play with three figures fills circle time, while the children call out warnings and guess the ending. Primary school pupils go a step further and write little plays of their own for the class.
What to look for
- Building on what you have: More Classic figures match the ones you already own, so they fit straight into the same plays.
- People or animals: Baker Leo and Viking Snorre suit stories of village life and the sea; the cow, Lissi and Rudi belong in animal plays and fables.
- What moves: You work the head and arms of the human figures, the head and front paws of Lissi and Rudi, and the head and mouth of the cow.
- One figure or several: A single figure can greet the children or put a question to the group. A play needs a hero and an opponent, such as Baker Leo and Rudi the rat.
- As a gift: Anyone who had Kersa figures as a child can pass the same kind of figure on to their own children or grandchildren.
Kindergartens and schools can buy on account: after a credit check, we enable invoice payment for their customer account.
After Kersa Classic: munabo ART
As the successor series, munabo ART takes over from Kersa Classic. Its figures also have a sewn fabric head, shaped and painted by hand. If you want to keep adding to your Kersa cast, figures from both series can share a stage.