Prepare for a Puppet Show!

You’re never too little to learn! Did you know that puppet shows – both those you might see performed and those you put on yourself – are great for your child’s early learning and development? No matter what type of puppet you use, watching the puppets walk, talk, and interact with each other creates magical memories for little ones and encourages their imagination and creativity. Playing with puppets helps children learn about teamwork and cooperation while you work together to put on a show, boosts fine motor skills in manipulating the puppets, and supports speech and language development while your child tells the story. You can make up a story of your own or use props to retell one of your favorite stories, which is a great tool for memory and recall, and teaches the sequencing skills that we need to understand how stories work. 

Plano Public Library offers a variety of puppet shows at our libraries throughout the year. Each puppet show includes a short storytime around a theme related to the day’s show, followed by the puppet performance. Seating in the room is limited, so be sure to arrive 30 minutes ahead of showtime to get your free ticket, available in person at the hosting library. Many of our puppet shows are based on favorite picture books and fairy tales. Keep reading to find out about upcoming shows this summer and read alikes to explore at home:    

Little Red Riding Hood 

Read-alikes: 

• Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J Gomez 
• Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T Smith 
• Little Roja Riding Hood by Susan Middleton Elya 
• Lon Po Po by Ed Young 
• Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell 

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Gingerbread Boy 

A gingerbread cookie eludes the hungry grasp of everyone who wants to catch him, until he meets a sly fox. 

Upcoming performances: 

• Monday, May 22 at 10:30am at Schimelpfenig Library 
• Tuesday, May 23 at 11am at Schimelpfenig Library 
• Wednesday, May 24 at 10:30am at Schimelpfenig Library 
• Monday, July 10 at 11am at Haggard Library 
• Wednesday, July 12 at 6:30pm at Haggard Library 
• Friday, July 14 at 11am at Haggard Library 

Read-alikes: 

• Marsupial Sue Presents the Runaway Pancake by John Lithgow 
• Señorita Gordita by Helen Ketteman 
• The Cajun Cornbread Boy: A Well-Loved Tale Spiced Up by Dianne de Las Casas 
• The Matzo Ball Boy by Lisa Shulman 
• The Runaway Piggy (El Conchito Fugitivo) by James Luna 

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Three Billy Goats Gruff 

Three goats must outwit a troll to reach the tasty apple trees 

Upcoming performances: 

• Monday, June 19 at 10:30am at Schimelpfenig Library 
• Tuesday, June 20 at 11am at Schimelpfenig Library 
• Wednesday, June 21 at 10:30am at Schimelpfenig Library 

Read-alikes: 

• The Three Aramdillies Tuff by Jackie Hopkins 
• The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya 
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett 
• The Three Bully Goats by Leslie Kimmelman 
• Who’s That Tripping Over My Bridge? by Coleen Salley 

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears 

A bold little girl named Goldilocks finds the house of the bears and barges in before being discovered by the three bears 

Upcoming performances: 

• Monday, June 26 at 11am at Parr Library 
• Wednesday, June 28 at 10:30am at Parr Library 
• Thursday, June 29 at 11am at Parr Library 

Read-alikes: 

• Dusty Locks and the Three Bears by Susan Lowell 
• Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Erica S. Perl 
• Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz 
• Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems 
• Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Middleton Elya 

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Soup Opera 

Read-alikes: 

• A Soup Opera by Jim Gill 
• Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle 
• Soup for One by Ethan Long 
• There’s a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Burach 

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The Ballad of Dirty Joe 

A pirate in search of dirty socks meets his match In Stinky Annie, who’s in search of underwear 

Upcoming performances: 

• Tuesday, August 8 at 11am at Harrington Library 
• Wednesday, August 9 at 11am at Harrington Library 
• Thursday, August 10 at 10am at Harrington Library 

Read-alikes:  

• Dirty Joe, the Pirate: A True Story by Bill Harley 
• Octopants and the Missing Pirate Underpants by Suzy Senior 
• Pirate Stew by Neil Gaiman 
• Pirates in Pajamas by Caroline Crowe 
• Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman 

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Musical Extravaganza 

Enjoy songs, stories and some of your favorite puppet shows 

Upcoming performances: 

• Monday, August 14 at 11am at Haggard Library 
• Wednesday, August 16 at 6:30pm at Haggard Library 
• Friday, August 18 at 11am at Haggard Library 

Read-alikes: 

• I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont 
• I’m a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian 
• Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley 
• The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort 

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Additional Activities 

Need some inspiration for creating puppet shows of your own? Check out these videos from our Library Make series to learn how to make your own Mini Puppet Stage and Clothespin Puppets. Each video in the series guides you through creating fun activities at home, and includes printable instructions to follow along.