The Cajun Cornbread Boy Puppet with Alligator - 12-16-08

Friends,

I am so excited! My first picture book for children, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, came in! My publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, is based in New Orleans so my husband picked up a case of books for me today. The books are beautiful! They are scheduled for a Spring 2009 release so getting the books this early is quite a delicious surprise. I have my first book signing on Saturday so, with the help of my daughter Soleil (who is majoring in art at LSU), I made The Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet. He came out better than I had hoped.

Cajun Cornbread Boy puppet w book - 12-16-08

I absolutely adore him! He is made out of felt, 8 inch cardboard cake circles, jumbo craft sticks, chenille sticks, foam, paper, and an enormous amount of hot glue. I have the burn marks to prove it! LOL There was even a bit of hand sewing involved. He was quite labor intensive (about 3 hours from start to finish) but well worth the effort.

I hope The Cajun Cornbread Boy will run into the hearts of many readers and spice up many children’s bookshelves! You can order your own autographed copy of the book from the Story Connection Store. http://storyconnection.net/?content=store If you order by Friday, December 19, 2008, you’ll get it in time for Christmas!

Spice up your holidays with The Cajun Cornbread Boy.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Plastic Spoon Puppets - 11-16-08

Spoon Puppets
Spoons make great puppets, both plastic picnic spoons and wooden cooking spoons. The spoon’s round end makes a perfect face while the spoon’s stem makes a great handle with which to maneuver the puppet. Children can draw the faces on or affix facial features with glue.

Eliana with Turkey wooden spoon puppet - 11-12-08

Small plastic spoon puppets are perfect with shoebox puppet theaters while the larger wooden spoons work well with door frame puppet curtains.

Shoebox Puppet Theater - 11-16-08

Happy Tales to you! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Dianne de Las Casas with a lap top box puppet theater - 11-16-08

Lap Top Box Puppet Theater
I learned this method from a school librarian in Houston when I lived there after Katrina. Take a box large enough to sit comfortably on your lap. Cut off the top and the back of the box leaving only the bottom, two sides, and the front. Decorate the front of the box to create any scene you wish. I created a meadow with grass and flowers. The puppets, props, and even a script can sit inside the box until you are ready to use them. It’s simple and ingenious.

Check out “behind the scenes” in this lap top box puppet theater.

Lap Top Box Puppet Theater Backside - 11-16-08

Happy Tales to You! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Lucky the Puppy Stuffed Animal Puppet - 11-16-08

Stuffed Animal Puppets
Old or thrift store stuffed animals can easily be turned into puppets. Make a small slit in the back of the animal, pull out some of the stuffing, and sew a sock into the inside of the animal to slip your hand inside. Instant puppet!

Above, you see Lucky the Puppy. He was a free stuffed animal caught at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Orleans. I removed some of his stuffing, inserted a green children’s sock inside him (all the way up to his mouth) and then sewed the sock to the stuffed animal to close the hole. Here is his underside.

Lucky the Puppy Stuffed Animal Puppet Underside - 11-16-08

Happy Tales to You! Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Eliana & Turkey Wooden Spoon Puppet 11-12-08

Turkey Wooden Spoon Puppet
Supplies:
Large wooden spoon
Construction paper (for feathers, beak and wattle)
Scissors
Glue gun
Large googly eyes
Markers

Directions:
Color the flat side of a large wooden spoon with a brown marker. Color slightly down the handle for the turkey’s neck. On four different colored sheets of construction paper (yellow, orange, red, brown, cream, green… fall colors), trace a child’s hand. Cut out each hand and layer them on top of each other, creating feathers. Staple them together. Glue the feather to the wooden spoon (should be glued to the curved side of the spoon). Glue two googly eyes on the flat side of the wooden spoon. Underneath the eyes, glue an orange construction paper triangle for the beak. Beneath that, glue a red construction paper wattle. Cut a small 1/2 inch strip of yellow construction paper to create a collar (this will separate the turkey’s neck from the rest of the wooden handle of the spoon). Done! Now you have a simple Gobbler puppet that can be used for Thanksgivings to come. You can even have the children make their own turkeys and stick them in Styrofoam, in a vase or bowl, creating a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Gobble! Gobble!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne