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I had mentioned to my friend Jacky back in July that I had no idea what I was going to do for my school visits. Other writers I know play instruments and sing to their young audiences. I play a mean grits box, but that's about where my musical talent ends. Jacky, however, didn't hesitate and said, "PUPPETS!" 

Now Jacky and I have worked on some big projects over the years. When I was the community relations director of the elementary school in which Jacky taught art, we installed gigantic murals in the gym that told the history of the school district. We also coordinated a huge art show each year with our four schools and four more private schools. Jacky and I had to "invent" the display boards we used each year because we didn't have money for real display boards.

So when Jacky said PUPPETS! she probably didn't realize that something so small could be so hard to do. First I explored buying the puppets. I searched every online catalog and retail store in sight. Either the puppets were the wrong size, had the wrong hair, were mouth puppets (much harder to do than hand puppets) or were not in enough different skin tones, plus none of them had the right clothes on! I realized even if I purchased puppets, I would be making clothes for them to resemble the attire in the book.

Next I embarked on a journey to find a good puppet pattern and searched the Internet. I found several, but none of them had the size or detail I wanted for my characters. I tried making my own with miserable results. My husband said the first one looked like a voodoo doll. Boo hoo. (He was right, actually.)

The quest became immensely easier when I discovered Kwik Sew pattern 3322 (available online or at Hancock Fabrics--not JoAnne). I have spent the last six weeks transforming the characters from my picture book to hand puppets and having a lot of fun. I still have to get or make a puppet theater but that should be a piece of cake compared to making ten puppets! I have two puppets left to make but I should be able to finish next week.

Drum roll please. . .Presenting Shante' Keys and Friends!

This was an incredible experience. My appreciation of Marion's detail and personality bestowed upon the characters grew. Now I can only hope (and practice like crazy) to be a worthy puppeteer. Shante' and the gang deserve only the best!