Tag: puppets

Blogger Jonathan Dolce

Turning a Picture Book Into a HUGE Program

| Jonathan Dolce|Leave a comment

So, we’re making waves this summer and indeed the possibilities are endless. I mentioned last week that I raised an old favorite from the depths. This week, I want to show you how to stretch out just one picture book into an epic summer reading program: Buccaneer Bunnies, to be precise! Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, by Carolyn Crimi tells the story of Henry, who is the “embarrassing” nerdy son of Blackear, the fiercest bunny to sail the seven seas. In a nutshell, Henry proves that books hold the answers to all manner of situations, outcomes and perils — all without being didactic! But how do you turn a quick read into a 60 minute program?! Well, me old sods, I’ll explain forthwith. It all starts with the book — no, really So, last week, I introduced you to Foghorn Follies, thus, we already have a puppet stage shaped like…

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Blogger Jonathan Dolce

Sailing Into Summer READing 2022

| Jonathan Dolce|Leave a comment

Raising a Sunken Ship Years and years ago when I was a wee volunteer at a public library in Central Florida, I was lucky enough to be a part of a crew that put on a puppet show by the name of “Foghorn Follies“. They brought me on board as a hand in the show. Little did I know, but one day, when I raised anchor and sailed off to become a librarian, I’d once more sound the foghorn and gather unsuspecting audiences for the corniest puppet show this side of the St. John’s River. But first, Atlantis! Years ago, like, 40 of them, there was a Six Flags Great Adventure park in Florida called “Atlantis”. It was here that the Kiddie Kingdom featured a King’s Sandbox and where the Foghorn Follies show was moored. While the show only lasted two seasons, a librarian fell in love with the show,…

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Blogger Jonathan Dolce

Things on Sticks – Shadow Puppets You Can Do!

| Jonathan Dolce|2 Comments
children performing shadow puppet show

No Excuses Honestly, there are no excuses for not being able to make a shadow puppet show. I’m not talking using your fingers to make that barking dog or your hands to make a butterfly. Shadow puppets are almost as easy to make, economical, easy to store, and frankly an art form in themselves. And thanks to the magic of internet and photocopiers, ANYONE can make these. Let’s dive in! What is a shadow puppet? A shadow puppet is any character, prop or background, made of almost any 2-D material that casts a shadow on another flat surface/curtain. It is a silhouette of a character, or object that helps you tell a story. Shadow puppets can be opaque, translucent, transparent, and include color. Any open areas “holes” or negative space as we say in the art world, allow light through. These areas can have color added with colored tissue paper,…

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Blogger Jonathan Dolce

19 Positive Summer Reading Activities During COVID

| Jonathan Dolce|2 Comments
chalk board with words what's your story

Adapt If COVID has taught me anything, it is to keep in mind the one-word slogan of Navy SEALS: Adapt. We are public librarians. We adapt. We adapted during the digital age to maintain our relevance. COVID is not going to stop us. Irrespective of where you are right now, summer reading has boiled down to three options: passive, curbside or virtual. We remain in the unique position of being able to touch the lives and hearts of our community. We have a responsibility to remain positive, and to disseminate hope. Read on to see how 19 positive summer reading activities during COVID can make the difference. 1 – Radio I’ll never forget growing up the impact just one radio station had on my hometown. The station was 45 minutes away by car, but everyone in my school knew it; always had it on. You couldn’t see the DJs, but…

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ALSC Online Courses

ALSC Online Courses – Fall 2015

| Dan Bostrom|Leave a comment

ALSC encourages participants to sign up for Fall 2015 ALSC online courses. Registration is open for all courses. Classes begin Monday, September 14, 2015. One of the courses being offered this semester is eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). The American Library Association (ALA) has been certified to provide CEUs by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET). ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. For more information on ALSC online learning, please visit: www.ala.org/alsced It’s Mutual: School and Public Library Collaboration 6 weeks, September 14 –October 23, 2015 Instructor: Rachel Reinwald, School Liaison/Youth Services Librarian, Lake Villa District Library Storytelling with Puppets 4 weeks, September 14 – October 9, 2015, CEU Certified Course, 2.2 CEUs Instructor: Steven…

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Blogger Angela Reynolds

Supporting the Arts in Libraries

| Angela Reynolds|Leave a comment

Summer Reading Club is winding down and as I look at the list of programs our branch libraries have hosted, I am impressed with the fantastic array of choices. For a rural library system, we’ve got the arts covered! From Musical Zoo (two musicians take a big box of instruments and let kids go wild), to marionette shows to photography and crafts, the arts are alive and well in our little libraries. This summer we hosted a touring marionette show. This stood out for a few reasons — one, this show was visiting from Quebec, and we’d never seen it in Nova Scotia. Two girls I spoke to at a show in our area had never been to a live puppet show before! I helped organize the tour, which went to pretty much every cove and cranny of our little province. The puppeteer stayed a couple of nights at our…

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ALSC Online Courses

ALSC Online Courses for Summer 2015

| Dan Bostrom|Leave a comment

Summer has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it? ALSC is giving you a little extra time to get ready for our new semester of online courses. Registration is open for all courses. Classes begin Monday, July 13, 2015. Two of the courses being offered this semester are eligible for continuing education units (CEUs) by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET). ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. For more information on ALSC online learning, please visit: http://www.ala.org/alsced NEW! It’s Mutual: School and Public Library Collaboration 6 weeks, July 13 – August 21, 2015 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy 4 weeks, July 13 – August 7, 2015 CEU Certified Course, 1.2…

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Storytime

Don’t Forget those Old Favorites!

| Early Childhood Programs and Services committee|3 Comments

Doing storytime multiple times every week can be exhausting. I for one am always looking for ways to include repetition while also adding in new books, songs and props that will make storytime more interesting for me. Many librarians are incorporating technology into their storytimes as well, which is a fascinating development. However, with all of these exciting new tools, don’t forget about one of those old favorite props, PUPPETS!! I had the best children’s librarian when I was a kid. I absolutely adored Miss Barbara. When I would return home from the library each week, I would pretend to be her, putting on storytimes for all of my stuffed animals. One of the things I loved the best about storytime was the fun puppets she included every week. She had different voices and personalities for each puppet, and she made them all come alive during that magical half-hour. I…

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