Free Puppet Shows and Workshops for the Summer!

This summer, we are lucky to be joined by not one, but two prestigious puppeteering theatre companies — Birdlife Productions and String Bean Puppets — bringing us 8 free shows at our libraries and community centres! Read on to find out more.

Box of Birds! with Birdlife Productions

Peter and his new friends in Box of Birds! Photo: Supplied

The magic begins this week, with the exquisite puppet show Box of Birds from Birdlife Productions. This beautiful show features hand-crafted puppets, interactive songs, and percussion, and tells the story of Peter and his Grandma as they build a nesting box for Ruru – but Peter must learn to be patient and wait to discover who will eventually nest in his ‘box of birds’!

The show lasts for 30 minutes and is perfect for tamariki aged 3-6 with their caregivers, but older and younger siblings are very welcome.

Dates and Locations:

Flutter: Puppet Show and Workshop with String Bean Puppets

Pepe and Titi flying in Flutter! Photo: Dianna Thomson//TAHI Festival 2023

Join Anna Bailey of String Bean Puppets for this mesmerising puppet show and workshop during the holidays! Experience the magic of puppetry in Flutter, an expowering and delightful show for young audiences about a bat who is afraid of the dark making friends with a glowworm who thinks she is a star.

The show is followed by a shadow puppetry workshop where tamariki can explore a world of shadows, learning how to create magical and beautiful shadow puppet creatures using natural materials, as well as building their own upcycled shadow box to take home.

The Flutter puppet show lasts for 40 minutes and is perfect for tamariki aged 4-10 with their caregivers. The shadow puppet workshop last for 45 minutes and is most suitable for tamariki aged 6-10, but younger siblings are welcome to participate with help from their caregivers.

Dates and Locations:

Ngā mihi to the Creative Communities Scheme from Creative NZ for making it possible for us to share these experiences with you for free.

Nau mai — everyone is welcome!

Puppets & Puppeteers

via GIPHY

With puppets and puppetry featuring in our Beyond the Page Festival July holiday activities, we thought we’d explore all things PUPPET!

A puppet is a ‘moving doll’. They are often used in theatre performances, kids’ TV shows and films and often use strings or other devices to make the puppet move and look alive. Some puppets are very simple (like sock puppets), but others are more complicated and need lots of practise to use. The person who works the puppet and makes it move is called a puppeteer.

Simple Puppets that you can make at home

FPin on Paper Dollsinger Puppet: As the name suggests, you simply pop the puppet over your finger/s and get wiggling! Another form of finger puppet is the two-finger puppet that has holes for two fingers which act as the puppet legs.

Sock puppet: Find an old sock and glue funny eyes and noses onto the foot of the sock. Then wear it like a glove with the thump acting like a jaw.

Glove Puppet: Similar to a finger puppet, but larger. The puppeteer uses his or her fingers and hand to work the puppet.

Paddle Puppet: The puppet is on the end of a cardboard or wooden paddle, or is even the paddle itself. When the puppeteer wiggles the paddle back and forth, it seem that the puppet moves by itself.

Complicated Puppets

Jumping Jack: A puppet where the arms and legs of the puppet are joined to a string. When the string is pulled down, the arms and legs go up.

Rod Puppet and Bunraku: The puppet is worked with rods joined to the puppets arms and legs, while another puppeteer moves the head and sometimes the mouth. Bunraku is a special type of Japanese rod puppetry.

Make a Shadow Puppet Theatre Book – Stories In Paper | Shadow puppets, Shadow theatre, Puppets

Shadow Puppet Theatre. Image: Pinterest.com

Shadow Puppet:  A cut out figure on a rod is held in front of a light. Its shadow is projected onto a screen. The puppeteer moves the puppet around, giving it some life.

Marionette: This puppet is moved around with strings that hang from above the theatre. This is one of the more complex types of puppetry and is hard to master as some marionettes can have up to thirty strings.

Ventriloquist Figure or Dummy: This puppet is one of the few where the audience sees the puppeteer. The puppeteer moves the puppets head arms and mouth with his hands as well as with levers. The performance usually takes the shape of a conversation between the dummy and the puppeteer. The puppeteer speaks normally, then puts on a different voice when the puppet is supposed to be talking. His voice seems to be coming from his stomach (from the old Latin word: “venter”). His lips are not moving, but the puppet’s lips may move, so it seems as if the puppet is talking.


Jim Henson and the Muppets

Jim Henson's Legacy: A "Rainbow Connection" with UMD | Flickr

Jim Henson with the Muppets. Image: Flickr

Jim Henson (1936 – 1990) ) was one of the most well-known and innovative modern puppeteers. He is the creator of the Muppets – think Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, and Elmo.  He made up the word Muppets as a blend of “marionette” (see above) and “puppet” and created the Muppets while still a student at university. The Jim Henson Museum is in his hometown of Leland, Mississippi and has an assortment of original Muppet characters on display. One of the bridges in Leland is also named “The Rainbow Connection” after the popular song from the 1979 film The Muppet Movie.




Check out the catalogue and get making and performing with puppets these holidays!

Puppets / D’Cruz, Anna-Marie
“An exciting collection of step-by-projects that readers can do at home on their own or in the classroom.” (Catalogue)

Sock Puppet Theater presents The three little pigs : a make and play production / Harbo, Christopher L
“Hear ye! Hear ye! Sock Puppet Theater Presents The Three Little Pigs! Now it’s a snap to make simple, adorable puppets, key props, and the perfect stage for bringing this classic fairy tale to life. But that’s not all! As an added bonus, this book also includes a fun starter script, helpful acting and performance tips, and clever suggestions for making your play truly unique. With Sock Puppet Theatre, you hold in your hands everything needed to get your puppeteer career started on the right foot!” (Catalogue)

Making shadow puppets / Bryant, Jill
“In this book in the Kids Can Do It series, kids can create traditional shadow puppets from around the world.” (Catalogue)

The most excellent book of how to be a puppeteer / Lade, Roger
“Tap students hidden talents with these clever books filled with step-by-step instructions for entertaining friends and family at home or at school.” (Catalogue)

Recycling things to make and do / Bone, Emily
“Provides step-by-step instructions for a range of craft activities using recycled materials. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.” (Catalogue)

I am Jim Henson / Meltzer, Brad
“Presents the creator of the Muppets and describes the creative spirit, performance talents and beliefs in the goodness of people that inspired his career and how he helped create the iconic programs Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.” (Catalogue)

The Muppets character encyclopedia / Shemin, Craig
“The most sensational, inspirational, muppetational character encyclopaedia ever! Play the music, light the lights, and meet all your favourite characters from the Muppets in The Muppets Character Encyclopaedia. From Animal to Zoot, meet over 200 of the most memorable and best-loved Muppet characters from the 1970s to the present day. […] The Muppets Character Encyclopaedia is a must-have for new fans eager for background on their new favourite Muppets as well as older fans wanting to relive the original TV series.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Make New Stories Beyond the Page in the July School Holidays!

Kia ora folks! We are so incredibly excited to announce that the hotly-anticipated Beyond the Page festival is returning this July!

During the school holidays, from the 9th to the 24th of July, libraries across the Wellington region are hosting over 100 awesome, FREE events for tamariki and their whānau, from puppetry, poetry, and costume design experiences through to VR experiences, nature walks, sculpting, and stop motion animation workshops!

There’s something on every day of the holidays, so join us to experience the ‘other’ side of libraries — the side that fizzes and pops, is creative, exciting, and adventurous!

Beyond the Page is a collaboration between Wellington City Libraries, Hutt City Libraries, Upper Hutt City Libraries, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, and Masterton District Library. You can view the full event calendar and find out more about the festival and our wonderful presenters on the Beyond the Page website, or you can follow the festival on Facebook for regular updates.

Read on to find out about some of the excellent events happening in Wellington City Libraries branches:

Vivita X Beyond the Page: Graphic Novel Series

We’re partnering with Wellington innovation studio VIVITA Aotearoa to bring you the Graphic Novel Series — a group of three workshops focussed on bringing the characters and story of a graphic novel to life, from sculpture and miniatures through to cardboard costumes!

These events are suitable for tamariki aged 9-15, and registrations are required.

  • Cardboard Costumes | Miramar Library | Saturday 9 July, 10am – 12pm (Register here)
  • Serious Sculpting | Te Awe Library | Sunday 10 July, 10am – 12pm (Register here)
  • Miniature Modelling | Johnsonville Library | Sunday 17 July, 10am – 12pm (Register here)

Toro Pikopiko Tales

Have you ever wanted to become a puppeteer? Join the Toro Pikopiko Tales Roadshow to explore an interactive gallery of puppets – from traditionally carved kare-tao puppets, through to puppets inspired by Māori rock art, taniwha, and stories of the land. In this fun-filled workshop, you’ll become the puppeteer!

These events are suitable for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers, and registrations are required.

  • Karori Library | Tuesday 19 July, 10 – 11am (Register here)
  • Johnsonville Library | Tuesday 19 July, 2 – 3pm (Register here)
  • Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library | Thursday 21 July, 10 – 11am (Register here)
  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Friday 22 July, 10 – 11am (Register here)

Stories From Our Place with Zealandia

Listen to bilingual stories about our special Aotearoa plant life and animals, then discover more about them on a guided nature walk with a Zealandia educator! Tamariki registered for the first session can explore Zealandia with their whānau free of charge. At the Cummings Park Library session, we will instead be exploring the unique flora and fauna of the beautiful Cummings Park.

These events are suitable for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers, and registrations are required.

  • Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library | Tuesday 12 July, 2 – 3pm (Register here)
  • Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne | Tuesday 19 July, 1.30 – 3pm (Register here)
  • Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne | Tuesday 19 July, 3 – 4.30pm (Register here)

Poetry Workshop with Sara Hirsch

Have you always wanted to learn how to write poetry? Have you been writing for ages and would love the chance to get some tips and tricks? Whatever your background and experience, everyone is welcome at this inclusive workshop, from newbies to the poetry obsessed.

This event is suitable for tamariki aged 8-12 with their caregivers, and registrations are required.

  • Newtown Library | Friday 15 July, 2.30 – 4.30pm (Register here)

String Bean Puppets: Nan and Tuna

Nan and Tuna have been friends for 80 years and now it is time for one last adventure together. But before they leave they will need to find someone to care for the river. Join us for this special bilingual puppet show presented by Anna Bailey of String Bean Puppets!

This event is suitable for tamariki of all ages with their caregivers.

Due to the interference of COVID-19, this event has been rescheduled. The new date and location are:

  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Saturday 16 July, 11.00am – 12.00pm (More information)


…and even more!

The holidays are going to be chocka with even more wonderful events, including Bricks and Giggles (LEGO® building galore!), Stop Motion Stories (fun and simple animation workshops!), Box Bonanza (what can you make armed with nothing but a cardboard box and your imagination?), Zine Machine (make your own mini-book!), and Experience VR (enter a whole new world of story through the magic of VR). Registrations are required for some of these events, so make sure you get in quick to secure your place!

Visit the links above to see all the details, or view the whole schedule on the Beyond the Page website. We can’t wait to see you there!

Purapura Whetū: A Matariki Festival with Your Libraries

Tēnā koutou katoa, e te whānau!

This July, Wellington City Libraries is celebrating Matariki with Purapura Whetū, a special festival of events, crafts, storytelling, and reflection for whānau and tamariki all over our city.

As well as all the programmes listed below, each of our libraries will have special crafting stations set up where you can make your very own star to add to our city-wide purapura whetū; a pattern, or web of stars.

Why do we celebrate Matariki? The star cluster Matariki (also known as the Pleiades) reappears in the dawn sky about Aotearoa in late May or early June. The new moon following the rising of Matariki signals the Māori New Year. Customarily, this was a time to remember the deceased of the past year and to plan for the new year. Today, Matariki has been revived as a celebration of people, culture, language, spirituality, and history. It is a time for whānau and friends to come together to reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to the year ahead. When you add your star to our purapura whetū, we invite you to send a message to someone you love, or reflect on the year that has just passed.

Come down to your library to make your whetū (star) and add it to our constellation!


Nau mai haere mai ki te whare pukapuka ki te whakanui i a Matariki! As well as the Purapura Whetū craft activity happening at every branch, there are many other fabulous events to look out for celebrating Matariki during the school holidays:

Kōhunga Kōrero o Matariki
Nau mai haere mai ki te whare pukapuka ki te whakanui i a Matariki! Pakiwaitara i roto i te reo Māori. E 30 meneti pakiwaitara, rotarota, waiata hoki i roto i te reo Māori nō ngā kōhungahunga me ō rātou mātua kaitiaki. Join us for these special Matariki storytimes in te reo Māori! Featuring stories, songs and rhymes in te reo Māori, these 30-minute storytimes are open to anyone, and are recommended for children aged 2-6 years and their caregivers.

  • Friday 10 July, 10.30am at Johnsonville Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Waitohi
  • Monday 13 July, 10.30am at Karori Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Māhanga
  • Friday 17 July, 10.30am at Johnsonville Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Waitohi

Making Matariki Stars
Join us for this special Matariki craft session! Make your very own Matariki star using one of our designs, or let your creative juices flow and create your own! Then, we will add your star to our purapura whetū — our pattern of stars — for everyone to enjoy and admire.

  • Monday 13 July, 11.00am at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Takapū o Patukawenga

Matariki By Torchlight
Head down to the library at twilight for this special evening of Matariki and Aotearoa-themed stories and songs under the starlight (or clouds!). Bring your own torch and come along in your PJs ready for some heart-warming bedtime stories and songs.

  • Monday 13 July, 6.00pm at Brooklyn Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Moe-rā

Matariki Music Makers: Making Taonga Whakatangitangi
Come along and celebrate Matariki by crafting music makers inspired by the porotiti, and making Matariki stars. You can take your creations home, or display them at our libraries during our #purapurawhetu Matariki festival.

  • Friday 10 July, 2.00pm at Brooklyn Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Moe-rā

Matariki Online Storytimes
Whakarongo mai, tamariki mā, pākeke mā! Celebrate Matariki wherever you are with our Matariki online storytimes. He korero paki i te reo Māori ēnei; these stories are in te reo Māori. The stories will be streaming live on our Wellington City Libraries Facebook page, and will remain up for your enjoyment throughout the holidays!

  • Saturday 4 July, 7.30pm — online!
  • Sunday 5 July, 7.30pm — online!
  • Monday 6 July, 7.30pm — online!

Matariki Storytimes
Come along and celebrate Matariki at your local whare pukapuka, or library, with Matariki-themed stories and waiata with our librarians. Then, why not try your hand at making Matariki stars at our crafting stations? There will be a range of activities available for your whānau.

  • Tuesday 7 July, 10.30am at Khandallah Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Tarikākā
  • Wednesday 8 July, 10.30am at Karori Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Māhanga
  • Monday 13 July, 10.30am at Wadestown Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Ōtari
  • Wednesday 15 July, 10.30am at Cummings Park Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Korimako

String Bean Puppets: Once in a Full Moon
Come along and celebrate Matariki at your local library with Anna Bailey and her string bean puppets! Anna’s puppets will be helping her perform the magical tale “Once in a Full Moon.” One evening, a lonely kiwi looks up in the sky and sees something remarkable… can kiwis fly after all?

  • Monday 13 July, 2.00pm at Karori Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Māhanga
  • Tuesday 14 July, 11.00am at He Matapihi Molesworth Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o He Matapihi
  • Wednesday 15 July, 2.00pm at Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Te Awa-a-Taia
  • Friday 17 July, 2.00pm at Johnsonville Library/Te Whare Pukapuka o Waitohi

Nō reira, nau mai, haere mai ki ōu tātou whare pukapuka ki te whakanui i tēnei wā tino hirahira! So come on down to your library to celebrate this special time!

Top 10 Childrens Comics October 2017

Comics have some great crossovers going on, from books, movies, games and TV series.  Did you know that Poptropica was inspired by Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney – there’s a Big Nate Island!  The comics take you through the island adventures shown in the game.

If you were creating islands for your own game what would yours look like?

Let us know in the comments =)

  1. Big Nate, by Lincoln Peirce
  2. Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi
  3. Pokémon, by Hidenori Kusaka
  4. Garfield Series, by Cedric Michiels, Mark Evanier and Jim Davis
  5. The Smurfs anthology, by Peyo
  6. Adventure time, by Ryan North
  7. Warriors, by Dan Jolley
  8. Peanuts, by  Charles M. Schulz
  9. Poptropica, by Mitch Krpata
  10. Thunderbirds, by Gerry Anderson

New Non Fiction: Animal Antics and Puppets glore!

100 Most Unexplained Things on the Planet.image courtesy of syndetics

Read this book and go on a journey where you get to investigate the world’s most incredible unsolved mysteries , examine the evidence about the world’s creepiest and most spine tingling phenomena and seek out the answers to the unexplained. A great read just in time for Halloween.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsAnimal Antics.

Animal antics? Oh boy,  this book is full of them. Packed with amazing pictures, Animal antics captures the most funny moment when animals are simply… being themselves. For those of you who have pets, Perhaps this book will give you ideas on writing your own animal antics book.

 

 

 

 

Terrible Tales of the Middle Ages.image courtesy of syndetics

Prepare to step into a world of heroes, monsters and death-defying deeds that makes every myth and legend you know and have heard look and sound like a Disney movie. This book collects together rip-roaring adventure stories and larger than life myths from the middle ages.

 

 

 

Ashley Bryan’s Puppets.images courtesy of syndetics

This book introduces puppets created out of found objects by describing each with a poem. There is one word to describe this book – COOL! With glue, thread and a sprinkling of African folklore, Ashley Bryan breathes new life into tattered treasures by creating puppets that swell on personality and beauty.  Reading this book also gives you ideas on creating your own puppets with simple objects such as driftwood, glue, debris, etc.

New movies to look forward to

Want something to distract you from the start of school? Here are some movies that are coming out in the next few months to look forward to. http://www.flicks.co.nz/coming-soon/family-kids/

Saving Mr Banks (releases on 6th February)

This is the story of how Walt Disney convinced the author P. L. Travers to allow him to turn her novel Mary Poppins into a movie.

 

The Seventh Son 2D and 3D (releases on 20th February)

This movie is based on the first book in the Wardstone Chronicles series written by Joseph Delaney. It is the story of a mystical knight and his 14 year old apprentice as they battle a powerful witch called Mother Malkin

 

Mr Peabody and Sherman 2D and 3D (releases on 27th March)

Mr Peabody takes his adopted son Sherman back through history in an attempt to fix changes made to history when Sherman and his classmate, Penny, tampered with the WABAC machine.

 

Muppets: Most Wanted (releases on 10th April)

The Muppets are back! Featuring celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey and Christopher Waltz, the muppets are on a world tour and find themselves caught up in a jewelry heist lead by a Kermit look-alike.

 

Rio 2 2D and 3D (releases on 17th April)

The sequel to Rio – Jewel and Blu and their three children leave their domesticated life in the city and return to the Amazon jungle.

 

The LEGO movie (releases on 17th April)

LEGO comes to life in this comedy movie about an ordinary LEGO guy who everything believes is the chosen one to fulfill a prophesy and save the LEGO world. Lots of familiar LEGO character make an appearance.

 

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (releases on 24th April)

Based on Reif Larsen’s children’s book. A 12 year old child genius secretly leaves his family’s country home in Montana to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute, who think that he is an adult.

 

Tarzan 2D and 3D (releases on 12th June)

An animated movie of the classic story of an boy who survives a plane crash in the jungle and is raised by apes.

 

Maleficent 2D and 3D (releases on 19th June)

A dark retelling of Disney’s tale of Sleeping Beauty. The story is from the view of  the witch Maleficient, and the eevnts that harden her heart and cause her to curse princess Aurora

 

How to Train your Dragon 2 2D and 3D (releases on 3rd July)

This story starts 5 years after the first movie. Hiccup and Toothless set out to discover new worlds and unmapped lands. They come across a land that’s home to hundreds of new dragons, and find them selves caught in the middle trying to keep the peace.

 

Tawa October Bookseekers

They reviewed the books they had been reading over the holidays, which included The Famous Five and The Hardy Boys, and then they were introduced to the Bookseeker theme for October: books about Animals.

October_Tawa_Bookseekers_008_250

October_Tawa_Bookseekers_010_250

Then the Bookseekers did a quiz where they had to match the baby animals to the adult animals, and Debbie read a poem aloud from Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.

There was more fun when the Tawa Bookseekers were given animal puppets and had to create a story. The puppet stories had to include random words like “train,” and “biscuit.” There was loads of laughter from everyone when the Bookseekers presented their stories to the group.

October_Tawa_Bookseekers_017_250October_Tawa_Bookseekers_014_250

Finally, the Bookseekers did another quiz where they had to match-up the country with its national animal. Did you know that the Chihuahua is the national dog of Mexico? Join the Tawa Bookseekers in November, on Wednesday 9th, 4 -5pm, for Stories From Other Countries. Bookseekers is free to join for children aged 9 – 12.

Puppet Show at Kilbirnie Library!

Thursday 17th February, 6.30-7.15pm

It is called Puppet Pasta Pizzaz!

This comprises of two shows with an Italian flavour (hence the pasta). There will be a marionette show (a marionette is a puppet with strings) and a Pulcinella show (Pulcinella is hand puppet and is the Italian Punch)

Feel free to come in your P.J.s!
I love puppets because they have a special way of telling stories and interacting with people.   Some of the best puppets are also very easy to make.  I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple weeks repairing and preparing my puppets for the fringe festival in Adelaide so I thought I’d share with you a few of the great puppet making books we have in children’s non-fiction collection.

Puppets around the world

Puppetry is a very old art form and there are puppets sharing stories all over the world.  This book has information and photos of many different types of puppets and also instructions to make a simple version of those puppets.  I think information in this book is interesting, the photos inspiring and it will introduce you to many different ways of making puppets and most of the materials are not to difficult to find.

Muppets Make Puppets

Most of you are probably familiar with Sesame Street.  This is a great puppet book that will let you into the secrets of making muppet style puppets.  There are illustrated step by step instructions for making different sorts of puppets, hints on how to create a character, suggestions on materials you could use including many recycled and household items you may never have thought of as puppetry material and suggestions how to put together a puppet show.  This colourful fun book will quickly have you making quirky puppet characters.

Most excellent book of how to be a puppeteer

I like this book for its ideas on how to make a range of easy puppets.  It also has hints about writing puppet scripts and it has good ideas about making easy puppet theatres to suit different styles of the puppets.