Down came the rain

It's raining. Again. Cold, too. I've gotten used to May in Kansas being pleasant and warm. Last week I had a fire in the wood stove. I'm considering having another today.

Or I could turn my attention further to water, to the summer reading theme Make a splash at your library. The program I'm offering for the theme is called Didja ever see a fishy? and it will be a medley of puppets, stories and songs. Trixie is considering wearing a shower cap, Ray the ray puppet will swim up out of the bag thanks to the "mistic hand." I'm certain that Prince, formerly known as Frog, will make an appearance. I suspect the baby will sing The Itsy Bitsy Tiger.

The title of the program is from a song I learned from another storyteller. Here it is:

Didja ever see a fishy on a hot summer day, (wipe sweat from brow)

Didja ever see a fishy all swimming in the bay, (mime fish swimming)

With her hands in her pockets and her pockets in her pants, (hands on front pockets, then on back)

Didja ever see a fishy do the hoochie koochie dance? (little dance)

You ne-ver did (clap, clap), you never will.

Didja ever see a fishy on a cold winter's day, (shiver)

Didja ever see a fishy all frozen in the bay, (mime hands forming a block of ice)

With his hands in his pockets and his pockets in his pants, (hands on front pockets, then on back)

Didja ever see a fishy do the hoochie koochie dance? (little dance)

You ne-ver did (clap, clap), you never will.

I'm still playing with stories. I'm thinking of The Pincoya's Daughter, a Chilean story about an old woman who finds a baby mermaid, and Little Crab's Magic Eyes. Maybe also Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch. I just found a newer story Munsch wrote called Down the drain that might work.

I'll keep you posted!

More puppets

Just a few more pics of the menagerie. Here are some creatures from the watery world, some of whom will join me for "Make a splash at the library" summer reading programs in June and July:

Kisserella, Ray, Prince (formerly known as Frog), Billy, and an unnamed dragonfly.

Billy the Turtle was my first puppet, bought at a fair in Middletown CT from a puppet builder in Colorado (Leslie Larson of Big Game Trophies and Puppets). Soon after I got him, my sister asked me to show him to friends. In the process, Billy nipped their dog on the nose. My sister said, "Priscilla, did you see that? Billy just bit the dog on the nose! Did you see that?" As soon as she said it, she realized that not only did I see it, I had something to do with it. I've used this as an example of how focus makes puppets believable, even to adults.

Here are a few miscellaneous animals. The sheep is Felice, the dog with blue velvet on the underside of her ears is Martha, the goat is Kiddy and the dog is Louie. If you roll Louie on his back, you can manipulate his hind leg so it kicks when you scratch his belly. Nice.
Next are some of the finger puppets. See the white mouse? If you put her on your right index finger and hold her with your left hand, then twine her tail around your third and fourth fingers of your right hand and twitch it slightly, while giving her a little tremor, she looks real. Don't take her into a restaurant, please.

I don't take most of these with me to gigs, except the bug next to the dolphin in the lower right corner. He lives in Trixie's sleeve and comes out for "Poor little bug on the wall."

After I took these pictures, I bought a new puppet. I'll have to give him his own post.

Meet Ray

In 2010, the summer reading theme in public libraries around the country is Make a Splash: Read! for younger kids, Make Waves at Your Library for young adults and Water Your Mind: Read for adults, with help from the Collaborative Summer Library Program.

As librarians begin contact me about performances for summer, I'm preparing. I'm offering a program called "Didja ever see a fishy?" which will be a mix of stories, songs and puppet hilarity for all ages. I expect we'll have a big fun time.

When found this eagle ray puppet, I was compelled to buy it. His name? Ray, of course. I'm still working on his voice and character. So far he's a bit of a wise guy.

Kids often ask how many puppets I have. I don't know, but I'd guess around 75, including those I let kids use. Some come out for a summer and then retreat to the puppet closet (yes, they have their own closet), some stay in the puppet bag forever, some make guest appearances from time to time.

Stay tuned for more news from Ray. I wonder if his last name is Dio. It's possible I'll get to tell stories in Raymore or Raytown, Missouri. I should get some mileage out of that.

Summer Reading for Grownups

Libraries are busy in this financial climate. As the ALA poster in the Springfield Town Library said in the late 70s and early 80s, when I worked there, "Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."

I spend my summers traveling from library to library, telling stories for summer reading programs. I love seeing kids get excited about reading and coming to the library. This summer for the first time, I joined the adult reading program at my library. The theme is "Master the Art of Reading." The challenge was to read four books that were about art.

Here's what I read:


I blogged about The Music Teaching Artist's Bible last week. Lots to chew on.

The Venetian's Wife is by Nick Bantock, who does a charming combination of correspondence, illustration, collage and diary entries to create a compelling story. I'd say more but I don't want to ruin it for you. Fun!

I listened to The Vanished Smile on CD. I probably should have borrowed the book, as I found myself annoyed by the reader. For me, the success of a recorded book depends greatly on the reader. The topic was interesting, if the delivery was not--it's the account of the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911.

I began with part II of Manu Larcenet's graphic novel Ordinary Victories, and then went back to read part I (that's why I have five books on my list). It's a very French bande dessinée (loosely, comic book) for grownups, about a photographer and his life struggles. I enjoyed it very much.

Today I took my completed form to the library and was given a bag of swag: a note cube, a pencil, a small Be creative @ your library notepad, and coupons for several arts-related events, stores and restaurants in town. Now my name will be entered for the Big Prize (I forget what it is).

I don't need incentives to read. It's what I do. Still, it's nice that the library encourages grownups as much as kids.

Summer plans II

I'm definitely getting ready for summer. I just ordered myself a new Lee Oskar harmonica. 

I know, I know, I posted about my harmonicas last January (and the picture was missing a few), but I don't have a Lee Oskar in the key of D. Can a person have too many harmonicas?

On a more serious note, I decided what I'm offering to libraries this summer. Of course, librarians can request any program on my larger list, or they can propose something else (if I can do it I will, and if it isn't my cup of tea, I'll say so). Here are the blurbs I sent to the Northeast Kansas Library System performer directory this morning:

Hopping on one foot!
All ages
Storyteller Priscilla Howe pulls out her favorite silly songs and story stretches, for a rollicking good time in the library. Of course, Priscilla will have some help (or hindrance?) from her handpuppet buddies.

Silly stuff
All ages
From tee-hee to guffaw, with giggles in between, this program of stories and songs with storyteller Priscilla Howe is not for the serious-minded. Check your scowls at the door! Of course, Priscilla will have some help (or hindrance?) from her handpuppet buddies.

Story goulash
All ages
Storyteller Priscilla Howe serves up a tasty mix of stories and songs, old favorites and made-up-on-the spot tales with plenty of help from the audience. Of course, Priscilla’s ridiculous handpuppets join in the hilarity.

In this last one, I plan to do at least one  improv story with the audience. I'll have a basic structure in my head, and we'll play with it together from there. Should be fun!

Summer plans

Today is not the day to be barefoot. Cold, cold, cold outside. 

I have a fire in the woodstove, so of course it's time to think about summer reading programs. This is the season when libraries start to book my programs. The theme is "Be Creative @Your Library." I'm considering what to offer. Normally I only offer one show that specifically fits the summer theme, but I'd like to do two this year. One will be Hopping on one foot, singing games and story stretches for all ages.  Once when I was giving the related workshop for adults, somebody referred to it as "storytelling aerobics." We move around a lot, no matter how much space there is. 

I'm not sure what the second program will be. Storytelling is inherently creative. Should I just pick one of my favorites, like Silly Stuff, or What book is that story from? or should I think up a new program? 

Any suggestions? 

This week at the Daniel Boone Regional Library

I'm home from three days in and around Columbia, MO. I always have a good time at the libraries in the Daniel Boone Regional Library system.
Sarah and Hilary hosted three of my shows at the Columbia Public Library. They're always a hoot to work with, and extremely hospitable.

Hilary took pictures of my first show at the main library.


I was performing in "the egg," the program room in the children's area. On the outside, it looks like a giant green egg. Inside it's green and orange-red. That sounds horrible, but is in fact quite pleasant. There are benches around the periphery, but as you can see in the picture, most kids and some adults sit on the floor.


Can you see the spider and fly in Kay's stomach? She's just beginning her feast (she's the old lady who swallowed a fly).


This picture was taken at the Ashland library, where the staff went wild with the bug theme. It was Miss Pam's birthday on Wednesday. She usually does storytime, but graciously introduced me and took pictures. Of course, we sang to her before the show. I did a show there on Tuesday night--a mother and son pair came to that show as well as to Wednesday morning.

In New Bloomfield, some of the school-aged kids remembered me from when I was there two years ago. They wanted me to tell The ghost with the one black eye, but I demurred. We paired my performance with a RIF book giveaway by the librarian--Jerilyn had a great selection picked out for the kids to take home.

In Harrisburg, I told stories at the preschool, where they also have big kids in the summer. For added excitement, one of these big kids pulled out TWO of his loose teeth during my show. Blood. Ick. The little kids didn't really notice him, thank goodness.