This is a photo from Frozentozen at the Toledo Zoo. The story is "Millions of Cats." I tell a bit about each cat that is going to be in the show and then when they appear the children know about the various "cats" used in the performance.

The First Time I Held You

My latest show is a fun one that involves about 30 children with props. It is based on a lullaby from Israel. This beautiful performance engages children in the awe and love that surrounds their birth. Many various props are used to convey these scenes...i.e., "The mountains bowed down...the grasses hummed...trees drummed", etc.

Puppet Shows

Bread and Honey
Little bear must attend a new school. He is frightened and wants to stay home. Mom promises him a treat and assures him she will be thinking about him. He loves his teacher, makes friends, and paints a picture of Mom. On his way home he runs into some of his forest friends who suggest changes to his picture. This humorous story gains additional glee with each "addition" to his picture!

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ear

An African folk tale of mosquito who brags to an iguana about a farmer's yam as big as a mosquito. Not wishing to hear any more nonsense, the iguana puts sticks in his ears thus causing a series of calamities with other animals until all are gathered at the lion's roar to solve these problems. Blame is placed on the mosquito who is then forced to whine....the rest of a mosquito's life.

Jack In the Sky Place (an original play)

Jack owns three precious animals, a hen, cow and goat who mysteriously disappear. Where did they go? Who has seen them? Jack is forced to work for food, but is given 3 beans instead. This delightful adventure takes all to a sky place inhabited by a massive creature and Jack's quest to reclaim his animals begins. This is a fun interactive play with sound effects, movement, laughter and a surprise ending!

Baby Rattlesnake*

Baby Rattlesnake cries and cries for a rattle just like his big brother and sister have, but his parents tell him he’s still too young. His crying keeps the Rattlesnake People up all night, so finally his parents give in. Thrilled with his new power, he mischievously uses his rattle to scare little animals. He grows bolder and bolder, till one day, he scares the wrong creature. Adapted from a Chickasaw tale, this story-time favorite provides a witty lesson in the value of self-control that all can relate to.

Fish Is a Fish

A young fish and a tadpole become friends in a pond. The day comes when the tadpole, grown now to a frog, leaves the pond to see the world. He returns from time to time to tell his wonders to his old friend who paints a different picture in his mind from the animal that the frog has seen. One day the fish decides to leave the pond to see the world himself. He soon learns that "a fish is a fish" and a frog is a frog and he becomes content with who he really is.

Quiet Cricket
A variety of insects meet a young cricket and though he tries to chirp, nothing happens until a young female cricket comes into view.

I Wish I Were a Butterfly*
A frog tells cricket that he is ugly. He feels rejected, unhappy and totally dissatisfied with himself until he meets a spider who convinces him that he is a wonderful creature, too. As he begins to "sing" a butterfly flies by and wishes he could be as beautiful as the cricket!

The Dragon and the Missing Pearl (an original play)
An underwater story featuring many creatures of the sea who try to "help" the young dragon find his missing pearl. A story of friendship, courage and lots of information about the variety of aquatic animals that inhabit the watery world that "dragons" are born into. Children are invited to help solve the mystery and take an active role in this fun tale.

Where Do Butterflies Go?
A monarch butterfly is befriended by a curious lamb who desires to be free like the butterfly until the storm comes and he realizes that it is good to be grounded as he "saves" the butterfly.
Lots of sound effects and interaction in this story.




Frog Princess*
A frog is kicked out of the large pond and finds a small pond of her own. She is lonely until one day various animals visit her and brag about being famous, even having books written about them. The frog responds and it is rumored that she talks. A young prince stops by and.....
This story has a clever ending, lots of laughs and is great for readers of all ages! This one is a favorite with children, teachers and librarians!

Paper Bag Princess
A princess is about to be married when a dragon captures her prince. She follows a trail of burnt bones to the castle and confronts the dragon and rescues her prince. Surprise ending and a fun story with lots of twists and turns and interaction with the audience!

Grouchy Irritable Ladybug*
Have you ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning? This ladybug surely did and wanted to challenge anyone she meets. Sound effects, group participation and lots of fun ensue as children delight in the misadventures of a very irritable ladybug.

Kapok Tree
A trip to the rainforest and the fate of a beautiful and very old tree is the focus of this story as animals of the rainforest try to save the tree from destruction. Sound effects, group action and parts for all encompass this enlightening story.

Tommy's Afraid of the Dark
Tommy is a turtle and afraid to be in the dark. He will not inhabit his turtle shell. His mother warns him that this is his last day out of the shell. Tonight he must go be in his shell. He seeks advice from many of his "brave" friends to find the answer to his problem, only to find out that they have problems of their own. Will he solve it? Children in the audience help him find the answer!

Queen Midas and the Golden Touch (an original story)
A queen loves money, her daughter and her lovely garden, not necessarily, she finds, in that order. After meeting an elf, she is granted a wish...that everything she touches will turn to gold. She discovers, to her horror, that gold is not what she wants most in this world. Will it be too late? Will she find the elf again to take away this affliction? Story with lots of values and ideals.

Millions of Cats
A lonely old man begins a journey to find the prettiest cat to bring home to his wife for companionship. He encounters many types of cats and cannot make a decision. He brings all of them home and it is a disaster! Group participation and a variety of creatures from the cat world are introduced and discussed.

Where Is Santa’s Hat?
Holiday story that takes place in the jungle with several animals finding Santa's hat and trying to decide how to use it. Fun play complete with "opening" presents for each animal of Christmas morning.

Market Place*
Mom sends a young boy to the store to get groceries. On the way home he encounters a different animal at each stop that demands one of his food items. How will he ever explain this to Mom when he gets home? Humorous and uplifting play that highlights creativity and imagination.

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing
This play is done with a small group with children taking parts in a boat with Mr. Gumpy.

Marvin the Marvelous Monarch*
A caterpillar is told he is ugly. He doesn't know what that word means, but it doesn't feel good. He crawls and eats much slower, but he still tries to play with the other animals until one day he is big enough to begin to change. This is a story that shows the miracle of metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly with the audience taking the animal's part with each encounter. Informative and dramatic this story is a must!

King of the Woods*
Who truly is king of the woods? Is it the strongest animal? What about the biggest animal? Children love to see this one with a surprise and laughter-filled ending.

Who’s In Rabbit’s House?*
Someone has moved into rabbit's house. He tries in vain to get that "bad thing" out, but even with the help of some powerful animals, the unwanted stranger does not leave. An amazing creature finally outsmarts the intruder and guess who it is! Fun, interactive and witty story for all ages.

Knife, Fork and Spoon (an original story)
A romantic story of a friendship that buds into "love" between knife and spoon. It begins as young silverware living at the bottom of Plate Mountain with knife, fork and spoon being together playing cards, board games, hide and seek, running, and finally going to school together at Plate Mountain Elementary. Children delight in this story and learn how to properly set the table. ( Hearing this at a workshop an older naturalist told me he finally knows how to set the table after all these years!) This story is published in my book, Characters from the Magic Basket.

Very Quiet Spider
While activity swirls around the barnyard, the spider continues to weave her web. Always faithful, patient and persistent, she stays at her job and ultimately helps the other animals by eliminating irritating insects.

Miss Amelia’s Easter Egg Farm (an original story)
Lisa Lou is a hen on Miss Amelia's egg farm who is unsuccessful laying ordinary eggs. One day, concentrating on the sky, she feels the urge and clucking away, lays an egg the color of the sky. This continues throughout the next few weeks where Miss Amelia takes her to the zoo (eggs), museum (eggs) and even to her bedroom! People come from everywhere to buy these beautiful eggs and Miss Amelia is famous throughout the land. She changes the name of her farm to the Easter Egg Farm!

Runaway Bunny
An old tale of a bunny who is not content staying home and wishes to run away to be a rock on a high mountain, a flower in a garden, a sailboat...and much more, only to find out that his mother would follow him and bring him back wherever he went. Great story for families and celebrating Mother's Day happenings.

Little Red Hen
Familiar folk tale of a hen who does all the work and her friends who would like to reap the rewards but do not wish to help her. This tale has some unusual "friends" and lots of turns and twists from the original.

The Mitten
A lost mitten becomes a home to an odd arrangement of creatures from the forest. This is a fun learning story about habitats and peculiarities of the featured animals with a humorous ending to this play.

Promise to the Sun

This story takes place long ago when only birds inhabited the earth. A great drought plagued the earth as the birds called a meeting and drafted the bat, cousin to the birds, to visit the sun for help. He does and makes a promise that he cannot keep. To this day he and other bats hide whenever the sun appears until it leaves. All children have a part in this very interactive play. This one, too, is a favorite of mine and my audience.

Insects Are My Life

This play teaches facts about many of the insect "stars" of the show. A young girl LOVES insects and studies them, sings about them and guards them. Children tease her, but she proudly states that, "Insects Are My Life!"

*good for anti-bullying programs