Hi!! It has bee a while... 
Well here is my challenge:
I am making a test in ordinary modelling clay. I am sculpting the head of some test characters, for a kids puppet play. I am not sure if it will be rod puppet, or a puppet in a stick, for the kids to use. BUT.... (please, can you look at this?) This test "heads" are scary!! I have tried twice, and the first one was even MORE scary... They should not be scary, but the opposite... sweet. I try to make them kind of "real" looking, but that makes strange expressions... I guess I must simplify the design, to just a rounded ball with some hair and a big smile.. 
Are wood carved puppets kind of "scary" too?? 

I don't think your figure is "scary" per se.  Just read the worm story that someone here is making.  That's scary!  As far as your figure goes, I'm not an expert on clay sculpting but I can suggest a book that I've used with success.  It's called How to Make Clay Characters by Maureen Carlson.  I think you've done quite well so far.  Check out this photo and see if it gives you any inspiration.  It's from the back cover of the book I recommended.

Thanks!  That will help. Maybe I make them too small, and is not so easy to work on facial expressions in "miniature". 

I don't think she's scary. It's a very nice design and character. She seems good for fairy tale stories or fables.

It is hard to make them small!  I've tried making dolls for my dollhouse and I ended up doing a very simple head which I then "wig" and dress with pipecleaners being the armiture underneath.  Here is a disembodied head that is leftover from that venture.  Biter must think it's a gumball, he's ready to pounce again.  This head is made of Fimo which I sometimes bake in stages so I don't mash the basic shape underneath.  This guy is probably done in one stage because he's pretty basic.  Details were painted in afterwards.  A hole in the bottom allows a pipecleaner to be inserted and glued.

Too small for me
The head's really nice. I can't believe you can get that sort of detail in something so small

 
Puppetlady: That was a very nice liiiiitle face! How can you work so small? 
Na: Good to read you think is not scary... My husband think this "head" can just wake up in the night, and go and bite his feet!!! 

I use tools from my college disection kit, but you could substitute a toothpick, a knitting needle, and a razorblade for the tools I use most.  For painting details, you a tiny, tiny paintbrush.  My teacher called these "a two hair brush".

Na: Good to read you think is not scary... My husband think this "head" can just wake up in the night, and go and bite his feet!!! 

Hahaha, well hopefully it's not possessed