New York City-based company Dante Beatrix is the caretaker of the Maakun Forest, a land populated by a diverse group of animals in the idealistic-yet-scientifically-improbable style of The Swiss Family Robinson (with the addition of a few dinosaurs). This forest evidently borders on the ocean, as well, since one of the residents is a shark. Despite being a natural predator, Nigel the Shark appears to live harmoniously with all his fellow Maakunans and, as his biography reveals, he is quite the culturally refined creature:
Nigel has a taste for the finer things. He’s a connoisseur of all things floating in the ocean. He can talk for hours about the wonderful chewiness of a North Atlantic fisherman’s boot, or the foamy crunch of an Australian surfboard. Nigel is also a devoted fan of opera and considers himself to be quite an exceptional singer. Fortunately for the other animals in the forest, Nigel does most of his singing underwater.
Fans of web series Ask the Sharky, starring a friendly shark from the coast of California who answers viewer questions and sometimes breaks into song, will leap at the chance to snap up merchandise of near-twin Nigel. Nigel appears, so far, on Dante Beatrix’s fashionable little kid backpacks, big kid backpacks, and lunch boxes.
The Nigel Lunch Box has a sturdy woven nylon handle and is made from a heavy canvas material that ensures that this tote will be your lunchtime companion for many years. It’s easy to wipe the entire lunch box down after every use, too, thanks to the canvas’ waxy laminate coating and a durable plastic lining on the bag’s interior. An overall layer of thick padding insulates food while protecting your apple from getting bruised, and since Dante Beatrix products are PVC, phthalate, and lead free, your snackables will be completely safe from any contamination. Nigel’s image, simple and minimalistic as all Dante Beatrix designs, is appliquéd and embroidered to the front of the light-blue lunch box and, in a cute touch, the metal zipper pulls are shaped like little shark fins. On the back of the lunch box is a small zippered pocket that’s just the right size to hold lunch money or a note, and below it is a cloth tag that provides space to write the lunch box owner’s name. The tag also advises you to “Eat your vegetables!” Hmm… it seems that Nigel may have a preference for vegetarian sushi!
Curious to meet Nigel’s friends? The other Maakun Forest inhabitants, featured on little kid backpacks, big kid backpacks, kid’s t’s, lunch boxes, and wheelie bags, are: Percival the Dinosaur, Juju the Ladybug, Rory the Lion, Yuka the Bee, Fei-Fei the Panda, Esther the Bunny, Señor Gomez the Penguin, Dieter the Monkey, Anastasia the Pig, and Alister the Stegosaurus. Until December 7, you have the chance to name the newest character, a brontosaurus, on Dante Beatrix’s Facebook Page. The prize is a wheelie bag of your choice!
The Dante Beatrix holiday sale has started, so use code HOLIDAY15 for 15% off your purchase of a Nigel Lunch Box and more through December 11.
Order now at Amazon.com:
Nigel the Shark Lunch Box
Or order directly through the Dante Beatrix website.
The Nigel Lunch Box and Maakun Forest collection are distributed by Dante Beatrix and its associated Stores & Online Retailers. For more information, follow Dante Beatrix on Facebook.