Although today's children can enjoy professional puppetry on television, there is nothing like experiencing a live performance. Live presentations, most of which are amateur productions, delight children now just as they have done in years past.
This book will be a resource for schools, libraries, and other community groups that present puppet shows. The 31 plays are for children, pre-school through the primary grades. Some celebrate seasons and holidays, and others are appropriate for any time of year. Several of the shows invite young viewers to participate, and a final section is "just for libraries," dealing with topics that concern children-applying for a library card, borrowing and taking care of books, joining a summer reading club, and visiting the library, both as individuals and with a school class.
Each play is accompanied by production notes, so beginners will know exactly how to go about putting on a show. In addition to information about staging the plays, there are suggestions about planning programs, manipulating puppets, pre-taping, and using music to enhance the production. Simple patterns for making both hand and mouth action puppets are also included.