"Make a vow when solstice comes

to find the light in everyone

keep the faith and bang the drum

on the longest night of the year"

--Mary Chapin Carpenter

Dear friends of puppetry,

Blessings on your Solstice!

The healing imagery found in puppetry is needed now more than ever, as we face the challenges of our times, to remind of us what is essential and true. In this update you'll see news of an upcoming online puppet story event, and ideas for puppet storytelling in the holiday season!

Next Tuesday, December 28th, I'll be continuing the online seasonal series, with the Story of Shingebiss. Shingebiss originates from a traditional Ojibwe First Nation story of a brave 'diving duck' who through patience and perseverance overcomes the big and fierce "Chief Wintermaker". The image of a little duck standing up to the a creature many times his size is a powerful one for children--for us all!

If you have already signed up I will 'see' you then, and if you have not signed up yet and wish to join, here is the link to register: https://starlitepuppets.blogspot.com/p/events.html

It would be absolutely lovely to share this with you! If you know of anyone who might be interested in this fantastic story of courage in the midst of the strongest adversity, please share this email with them--thank you!

Finger puppet adventures! Here is a little St. Nick finger puppet I created that goes perfectly with a lovely story told by Terri Reinhardt. It so embodies the spirit of the selfless giving at Christmas time, with gentle images of redemption for those finding their way, titled "A St. Nicholas Story: The Fiercest Animal in the Forest".

A story I have used often at Christmas time for kindergarten and nursery is "Who Was Born This Special Day?" You'll see the story below. I use finger puppets for the telling, or if you have a nativity set, you could use them in this way to share the story. As this time of year symbolizes the re-birth of the sun, and the seeds forming in the earth, the story of the birth of the child is a deeply joyful and meaningful story for children of any cultural background.

*Note: As I am currently teaching parent/child classes with toddlers, I tell it less abstractly, as I find it easier for them to follow. For example I have little bunny ask the question "Is it you, little stone?", and have the stone answer in this manner, in rhyme--"No it is not I, ask the tree who grows nearby." That version has been included as well.

Brightest Blessings on your holiday season!

Warmly,

Connie Manson, artistic director and founder of Starlite Puppets

Who was Born This Special Day?

by Eve Bunting and Leonid Gore, edited by Connie Manson for nursery/kindergarten

A little mouse lived in his mossy house. He knew that someone had been born this day. He asked, “Who was born this special day? Was it you, little stone?”

“I’ve been here since the world began, part of the great creation plan.”

No, it was not the stone.

“Was it you, cedar tree?”

“When I was a seedling floating in space, a wandering wind dropped me here in this place.”

No, it was not the cedar tree.

“Was it you, little lamb?”

“Baa, Baa. I was born back in early May, when the breezes of Spring chased Winter away.”

 No, it was not the lamb.

“Was it you, little donkey?”

“Hee-haw”.The donkey snug in a coat of gray, shook his head in a donkey way. No, it was not the donkey.

“Someone was born this special day, was it you, mourning dove?”

“Croo, croo. No, not I.  I was born in a nest of love with leaves that whispered and sang above.”

“Who was born this special day? Was it the child?”

The child who lies in a little bed, the shine of the star overhead?

Clouds filled with ANGELS shimmering bright, singing of joy this special night. 

Who was born this day? It was the child.

Who was Born This Special Day?

inspired by the story by Eve Bunting and Leonid Gore,

as told by Connie Manson for parent/child classes

A little bunny was hopping along, and stopped to nibble on tender twigs and little leaf buds on the bushes in the winter time. A little bird flew along, a singing a song, and said to Bunny,

"Good morning, bunny! Someone was born this special day!"

"Who was born this special day?", asked bunny.

But the bird did not reply, he had already flown on by!

So the bunny looked around to find out who was born on this special day--hippity hop, hippity hop!

He saw a little stone. "Good morning little stone, were you born today?"

"Hello bunny", said the stone, "no, it was not I. Ask the tree that sits nearby!"

So Rabbit hopped to the tree, and asked, "Good morning, tree, so green, were you born today?"

"No, not I", answered the tree, "ask the little lamb close to me."

"But I don't see a little lamb," said the bunny. "Listen . . . " whispered the tree.

The bunny stretched his ears and stood very still. Soon he heard a soft, "Baa, baa . . . " he hopped until he saw a little lamb, standing behind a bush.

"Dear lamb," said the rabbit, "were you born today?"

"No, I was not born today, ask the donkey with his coat of gray!" 

"Thank you!", said the rabbit, and hopped until he heard a loud "hee-haw, hee-haw!"

"Good morning, little donkey, were you born today?" 

The donkey in his coat of gray, shook his head in a donkey way, "Hee-haw, hee-haw, it was not I! Ask mother and father dear who lives nearby!" 

Bunny hopped until he found a house. Who was in the house? A mother and father dear! And . . . who was this?

A child lay in a little bed. The shine of the star high overhead. Clouds filled with angels, shimmering bright, singing of joy this special night.

Who was born this special day? It was the child!

STARLITE PUPPETS was honored to be featured on Synergy Connection Radio podcast in May, sharing the ways puppetry brings magic to the young at heart. Here is a link to the podcast. Check it out!

The Wonderful Life of a Puppeteer

What a joy it was to collaborate with David Sewell McCann this season! Watch storyteller David and myself perform a Sparkle Stories season favorite here! Click on recording here: The Candleberry Elf

The Mouse Who Wanted Her Tail Back
Adaptation by Connie Manson

Winter is the perfect time for baking. It’s fun to share this little puppet tale when baking at home or on a classroom baking day 

Once upon a winter’s day, there was a little cat and there was a little mouse. They began to play together, and then mousie nibbled on cat’s tail! “Ouch,“ said cat.  And so, the cat took the mouse’s tail!

          “Give me my tail back!”, said the mouse.
          “I will give you your tail back if you will give me a bucket of milk.”

First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the cow and thus began, “Good day, cow!”
          “Good day, mouse.”
          “Would you please give me a bucket of milk?”
           “I will give you a bucket of milk, if you will give me a bale of hay.”

First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the farmer and thus began, “Good day, farmer!”
          “Good day, mouse.”
          “Would you please give me a bale of hay?”
          “I will give you a bale of hay if you will give me a loaf of bread.”

First she lept, and then she ran, ‘til she came to the baker and thus began, “Good day, baker!”
          “Good day, mouse.”
           “Would you please give me a loaf of bread?”
          “I will give you a loaf of bread, if you will give me a sack of flour.”

First she lept and then she ran, ‘til she came to the miller and thus began, “Good day, miller!”
          “Good day, mouse.”
          “Will you please give me a sack of flour?”
          “I will give you a sack of flour if you promise never to nibble on my grain again.”
          “I promise,” said the mouse.

And so the miller gave the mouse a sack of flour. The mouse gave the sack of flour to the baker. And so the baker gave the mouse a loaf of bread. The mouse gave the loaf of bread to the farmer. And so the farmer gave the mouse a bale of hay. The mouse gave the bale of hay to the cow. And so the cow gave the mouse a bucket of milk. The mouse gave the bucket of milk to the cat and then and there, the cat gave the mouse her tail back, and shared her bucket of milk with little mousie.

Easy Mousie Finger Puppet

White or brown felt
White or brown thick yarn 2 1/2” long
White or brown embroidery floss
Small velcro dots in white or tan
Small black seed beads or black embroidery floss
Small black pom pom (optional)

1.  Cut out the pattern and fold in half lengthwise. Pin to hold.

2.  Sew a stitch or wrap a french knot for each eye with black embroidery floss.

3.  Sew the felt from the x near the back of the mouse to the point of the mouse shape--at the nose--with matching floss, using an overcast or a blanket stitch.

4. Cut 2 ears from pattern. Fold each one in 1/2. Attach the ears on either side on the head of the  mouse as indicated by the ‘x’.  


5. Attach a tiny velcro dot at the spot indicated by the x above, attach the other side of the dot on the wool yarn tail. Tie a knot at  the end of the tail.

Little Mousie's Seed

Happy Autumn, everyone! Enjoy a story I wrote "Little Mousie's Seed." Though the story spans all seasons, it begins and rests in Autumn. You'll find it in my resource for parents and teachers called "A Journey Through Spring" available here: https://starlitepuppets.blogspot.com/p/shop.html. I've included a picture of one of the puppets I use when I tell it as a puppet story. Happy Autumn Journeys to you!

Once upon a time Little Mousie was in the fields, searching for seeds. He found some! He gathered them up into his cheeks to bring home to his house under the roots of a tree. But he picked up a seed that was left in the field and diggity, diggity, he dug a little hole and dropped the seed inside. Then shuttity, shut! He covered up the seed with a soft blanket of soil. Then off to his house he scurried to settle in for the winter and a nice long nap.

The seed also napped a long, long time. One spring morning it woke up. It yawned and stretched, and . . . CRACK! It’s hard brown jacket split in two.

“Oh!”, said the little seed, “that feels so much better!”

The seed pressed a soft root into the moist earth below, and pushed a tender shoot up, up through the dark, warm earth. It kept on pressing up, up, until, all of a sudden its head reached the top of the earth. It peeked out from the soil and saw Father Sun smiling down brightly. The little seedling opened its leaves wide to the warm sunshine. The seedling sipped the sparkling dew the water fairies brought. Its stem grew stronger and taller, and its leaves grew larger.

Every morning Father Sun sent his bright sunbeams down to play upon the earth. Some would dance on the soft green leaves of the little plant. “Good morning, sunbeams!” the little plant would say. And every evening after Father Sun had traveled across the sky, as He ducked down behind the trees, the little plant would call, “Good night, Father Sun!”

One morning, a sunbeam danced down from Father Sun, and tickled the little plant‘s head. The plant was so happy! All of a sudden, the green cap that covered its little head opened wide, and out popped its face ringed with golden sunbeam petals! The flower would watch for Father Sun to rise in the morning, and follow Father Sun as he traveled across the big sky during the day.

It wasn’t long before the flower heard a gentle humming sound as soft little bee bodies touched its brown face gently. “Zoom . . . zoom . . . hmmm . . . hmmm . . . thank you for your nectar sweet, and your soft golden dust to tickle our feet,” sang the bees. Where ever the golden bees touched the flower’s face a seed began to grow. The seeds grew larger, and the flower was so happy.

But one day the seeds became so heavy that the flower bowed its head down towards the earth. The seeds tumbled out and landed softly on the ground. Father Sun sent his pink and purple rays and wrapped them ‘round the flower then said softly, “Pleasant dreams golden sunflower, mine!” Brother Wind whispered a soft lullaby as night tip toed to the earth.

The next morning Little Mousie scurried into the fields to look for seeds. He found some! He tucked all of the seeds into his cheeks to carry them to his house for the winter. But he took one seed in his teeth and diggity, diggity, he dug a little hole and dropped the seed inside. Then shuttity, shut! He covered it up and left it there. Then off to his house he scurried to settle in for the winter and a nice long nap!

Once Upon a Story . . .

Storytelling is such a magical activity for children. It's an opportunity to create a space for meaningful connection. Storytelling asks of the teller the qualities of sharing, focus, warmth, and presence. No wonder this activity is so nourishing for children, and for us all! For the youngest the capacity to follow a story and visualizing the images is still in development, so a visual support can be very helpful in order to ground the experience for them. All it takes is just a simple finger puppet to captivate the imagination of a small child during a song or story. 

I pulled this little goat out of a pocket in my story apron while sharing a short story poem about the animals and flowers waking up in the morning.

Storytelling is the natural foundation of literacy--it is the origin of every book we read. And what a precious gift to offer, the gift of presence as you share a story learned by heart, a moment from your childhood, or a simple tale created on the spot. The trickiest part of storytelling comes at the outset, when learning how to allow the story to 'tell itself'. I remember feeling so self-conscious as I fumbled through telling a spontaneous story to a group of little ones in my home nursery. But the little ones just waited patiently and didn't mind the stumbles at all! Each time I told a story it became a little easier.

Wondering how to feel more confident in your ability to share a story in the moment or one by heart? 

Below is an audio link to story telling tips, recorded for an online homeschooling group that I hope you find helpful. I'd love to hear your experiences with storytelling!   
The Art of Storytelling for Children audio link

Squirrel Nutkin Autumn Fun

"Squirrel Nutkin has a coat of brown,
Quite the loveliest in woodland town.
Two bright eyes look 'round to see,
Where the sweetest nuts might be!"

Create an acorn bean bag! Here's how . . .  

Fun games to play with an acorn bean bag . . .
For one or several children:
Tuck away indoors or outdoors so that only a small piece is showing and have a hunt for it!
For a circle of children:
As a group, sit the class in a circle, with hands outstretched behind their backs. One child will be the "squirrel", and drop the acorn into the waiting hands of one of the children. The child who gets the acorn will run to catch the "squirrel" as the "squirrel" runs back to their place in the circle.

Use the template above to create an acorn bean bag!
Materials:
brown felt for acorn body
gray felt for acorn cap
brown and gray embroidery floss
dried lentils for stuffing

BODY
Cut two of the acorn body--cut the tops of the acorn pattern a 1/2" higher than template.
Sew pieces together with a blanket stitch, leaving the top open.
Stuff acorn body with lentils, then sew the top closed.
CAP
Sew the top of the cap together with a blanket stitch next place over the top of the sewn acorn body and sew to the body one side at a time.