Celebrate Children's Book Week with puppet theatre

In celebtration of National Children’s Book Week, The Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre will be presenting a blend of storytelling and puppetry at the Oak Harbor Library and Coupeville Elementary Saturday, Nov. 17.

At 2:30 p.m., Emily Alexander of the Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre will perform “Stella Luna” at the Oak Harbor Library.

Stella Luna is a small bat who falls into a nest of birds. She is adopted by the mother bird and creates havoc in the nest as she teaches the baby birds to hang upside down.

“The Singing Bird,” an African tale, will also be performed. Children from the audience will be costumed on the spot to play characters in the story. The king is thirsty and sends his servant to the river to bring him water. The servant discovers a singing bird and forgets to return. Evenually, the entire household is dancing at the river.

Part of National Children’s Book Week is funded by Friends of Oak Harbor Library.

Then at 7 p.m., the puppeteer group will perform “The Toad Prince,” at the Coupeville Elementary School Multipurpose Room.

“The Toad Prince” is an Asian version of Beauty and the Beast. Part of National Children’s Book Week, all the color and spectacle of Chinese puppet theater includes a magnificent dragon. Trapped in the body of a toad, Indri longs to become a man but the change will occur only if he lives in the presence of virtue for nine days. Who can help him?

All ages are welcome to the performance, which is funded by Friends of the Coupeville Library, Coupeville Festival Association, Coupeville Elementary School PTA and Sno-Isle Regional Library Multicultural Fund.

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