I have an Ellison die-cut machine, with custom made dies based on my original drawings..  It works like a cookie-cutter, and eliminates the risk of repetitive stress injury.  However, I must decline requests for other animals such as dinosaurs, horses, lions, tigers, giraffes, whales, butterflies and ladybugs.

My animals are gender neutral.  I’ve made boyish bunnies, girlie elephants and feminist penguins.  The length of the name is important; I’ve noted the limits for each animal (if you want all the same animals). I can combine different animals. Also consider what you want the animals to be doing; I’ve noted some of the restrictions.   

Mice were the original Alphabet Animals.  When I was taking a children’s book illustration class at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, the teacher, Ilse Plume, encouraged me to try collage.  Among my creations was a little cut paper mouse, wearing a baseball cap and pushing a broom.  I liked the mouse so much that I made a mouse alphabet.  This led to the name signs, with a little mouse illustrating each letter.

I’ve made several name signs for adults who collect mice (the oldest was 98 years old).  Other adults shudder at my mice, no matter what they’re wearing or doing.  Children usually like them, maybe because there are so many children’s book with mice as the heroes and heroines.

Because they are small, mice work well with names of any length.

I started drawing rabbits when I was about three years old and my favorite story was Peter Rabbit.  My mother read it to me so many times that she told my aunt she wasn’t sure if she was raising a child or a rabbit. I probably wasn’t all that strange—years later, I was asked to make a sign for a little girl named Olivia who “thinks she’s a rabbit.”

Rabbits are my best selling animals.  (The others are roughly equal in popularity).  They work well with any length name.

Bears are a good choice for anyone who likes Teddy bears. (Obviously not Steven Colbert). A costume designer once ordered a name sign with the bears dressed as Gilbert and Sullivan characters. My bears are cute, but not cloyingly so. They face forward, unlike the other animals, and prefer reading a book to playing a trumpet.

Because they’re somewhat chubby, bears work best for names of seven or fewer letters.

For many years I had a beagle named Pal who was a willing model whenever I had homework for my drawing classes.  He had numerous sleeping positions.  The cut paper dogs in my name signs are the same basic shape, but much more active. They can paint masterpieces with paw prints, wield hammers, juggle dog biscuits, and even dress up as Red Sox players.  They’re available in black, tan and several shades of brown. 

Dogs work well with names of eight or fewer letters.

I enjoyed the Babar books, as did my children, so I was delighted when a customer asked me to make an elephant name sign for a baby boy whose family was from India. Over the years, I’ve made several name signs for children who love elephants. Elephants can use their trunks for a variety of tasks—strumming a guitar, carrying mail, or pulling a toy.  But sometimes, as when they’re eating ice cream, their trunks get in the way. 

Elephants work best with names of six or fewer letters.

Technically, my monkeys are chimps since they don’t have tails.  But neither did Little Monk, my brother’s toy monkey, who was the inspiration.  Nor does Curious George, whom they also resemble. Older children who can help design their own name signs often choose monkeys. 

My monkeys are versatile little creatures, and work well with names of eight or fewer letters.

Penguins are naturally well dressed, so they don’t wear clothing unless it’s an apron for A or raincoat for R.  Two recent movies, March of the Penguins and Happy Feet, have contributed to their popularity. I’ve made name signs for adults as well as children who love penguins. My penguins can do almost anything, except wearing overalls! 

Penguins work best with names of nine or fewer letters.