Ha! This was the name given to my puppet program at the public library last month and it is spot on the money! Erica, the library’s Youth Specialist, was my fellow puppeteer behind the theater and we had a blast sharing the stories of Little Red Riding Hood and Little Red Hen. I’m not sure why I chose two “Red” stories but maybe it’s because they were both favorites when I performed shows as a Children’s Librarian at this very same library. It made me so happy to be able to share these stories with new generations of families–and introduce them to puppet shows and puppet-making!
It’s been a few years now since I retired as Children’s Librarian, but I still enjoy putting on puppet shows and holding puppet-making workshops for kids. I learned years ago that there is something magical and freeing about telling stories with puppets behind a puppet theater. Introducing young children to puppetry can give them a huge boost of self-confidence. I see it all the time when they come to my workshops and realize that they can be as creative and vocal as they want behind a puppet theater. They find their voice through their puppet characters and then they are able to carry that new self-confidence with them after they emerge from behind the theater. I know personally that puppetry definitely helped me become more confident in my role as a Children’s Librarian and in other parts of my life.
Here’s to Puppet Power!
