I found polymer clay while looking for something that is pretty big in Argentina and throughout Latin America called Cold Press Porcelain or Cornstarch clay. While there were no how to books on the crafts I was looking for, there were a lot of books on polymer clay and I saw that I could use the contents for my own projects.

Now polymer clay is basically a manmade acrylic based clay characterized for remaining pliable for long periods of times and can be baked or cured in very low temperatures. Brand names include Fimo, Sculpey, and Primo. Crayola also has Model Magic which hardens on its own after around 24 hours.