By GABRIELLE SHIOZAWA
Moapa Valley Progress
A Pig, a Fox, and Stinky Socks. This title of Jonathan Fenske’s picture book was enough to excite the group of avid young readers gathered at the Overton library on Friday. Of course, they would have been content to hear the tale just as it was. But this wasn’t any ordinary storytelling—this was a puppet show.
As the audience watched, librarians Naomi Harris and Christina Earon popped up from behind a table, pig and fox puppets in hand. They kept the audience laughing with amusing voices and silly sound effects.
The story is of a sly fox who plays a trick on his friend, a pig, by giving him a pair of smelly socks. The pig enacts revenge on the fox by returning the socks. The two later apologize to each other and make up.
The entertaining tale was performed in three separate acts, and other stories and activities filled in the intermissions. Librarian April Heath told riddles about heat and time, after which the librarians and audience joined in singing a parody of “Home on the Range” called “Home in a Book.”
The librarians also performed Hey, Duck! by Carin Bramsen and Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas. These stories were enlivened by creative performances using duck, cat, and dinosaur hand puppets.
After the show, kids had the opportunity to make hand puppets of their own. They used paper bags and multi-colored cutouts of pigs, ducks, cows, and dogs.
“We’re so glad you decided to come in from the heat and see our puppet show!” Heath told the attendees.
This Friday, the Summer Reading Program at the library will feature a water day and shaved ice at 11:15 am.
