Introducing: Gabriel

GABRIEL

Gabriel the Snail is happy. He's really happy. He loves surprises, plays hide-and-seek with little kids by ducking into and out of his shell, doesn't mind explaining why he sniffs things with his antennae or what makes him a "gastropod," and even keeps a sense of humor about occasionally ending up in the French regional cookbooks section.

He's also one of the most famous puppets at the Haunted. He gave an interview for local access television last year while helping out at the Iowa City Book Festival and has been known to make guest appearances at coffee shop poetry slams, the kids' table at family dinners, pride parades, and other colorful events. He does a really weird impersonation of Kermit the Frog for extra giggles - and Gabriel is all about giggles. His laugh spreads like a yawn, overtaking whole crowds and leaving them watering at the eyes and sighing joyfully.

Seriously, though, Gabriel's best day ever was the day his little cousins came to live with us. Dan, Mike, and Cass love it when Gabriel gets out their favorite toys - four strips of cloth in four different colors - and they all tie the strips on like headbands and pretend to be pizza-snarfing, unconventional weapon-wielding turtles. Personally, I don't get it, but their routine never fails to leave people in stitches, especially if they can get NICO the rat to put on RALPH's bathrobe and act like a more cynical version of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Kids these days, right? But I can't help laughing with them, even if I don't understand. Because they are just so incredibly happy, and the world needs more of that.

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All Haunted Bookshop puppet profiles reflect the personal ideas and opinions of the Haunted Bookshop crew exclusively and, while the pictures of the puppets are copyright Folkmanis, Inc., none of these profiles are sponsored, endorsed, encouraged, or approved by Folkmanis, Inc.; they are strictly for the amusement of regular bookshop guests who have come to know how Haunted crew develop characters for puppets.