Pinocchio is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a village near Florence, Pinocchio dreams of transforming from a wooden puppet into a real boy. As one of the most re-imagined characters in children's literature and other media, Pinocchio is a cultural icon. In 1947 GUND began a long-lasting partnership with Walt Disney Productions, creating plush figures of popular characters like Mickey Mouse and Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy, and Donald’s three nephews, Snow White, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Winnie the Pooh, and others.