Description

With tons of color photographs and a DVD with over 2 hours of hilarious instructional videos, this is the perfect how-to book for all levels of puppetry skill, from beginners to master artisans. With instructions on making hand puppets, turning stuffed animals into puppets, building mechanical puppets, finding accessories, performing, inventing voices, building stages, and more, this is the most comprehensive book of its kind. And with jokes and puppet humor throughout, it’s not just a handbook—it’s a joy to read!

About the Author

Amy is a children's literature specialist at the Orem Public Library, and a dedicated Laptime and Storytime enthusiast. Amy started her puppet addiction as the buyer for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Fanfare puppetry area. Now, she uses puppets on an almost-daily basis. As an advocate for early literacy and a proponent of the value of stories, Amy believes that puppets are a great avenue, not only for sparking an early interest in stories, but also for continuing the love of stories throughout one's life.

Mark H. Pulham–Utah Arts Educator of the Year 2006–is a retired teacher, masterful puppeteer, skilled actor, and a long-time and dedicated children's librarian who works for the Orem Public Library. Mark's brand of twisted fairy tales, off-the-cuff hilarity, and extreme voice skills make him a highly sought-after puppeteer, voice-over artist, puppet skill teacher, and workshop leader. He can often be found performing to packed puppet audiences at festivals, schools, libraries, and centers for the arts.

Dallin began making his own puppets at the Provo Library when, as a storyteller, he found that there were never enough puppet characters available for his stories. He later honed his puppet-making skills as an intern at The Puppet School in Los Angeles, where he was subsequently hired. Frequently booked with puppet-making orders, Dallin still finds time to pursue his Puppet Master of the Universe Doctorate as a member of the Naked Hand team.

Praise For…

"Dressing the Naked Hand provides one of the best overviews of puppets and performing with puppets for the beginner puppeteer that I've seen. It covers it all, from building the characters, to stages, to performance dos and don'ts. I'm a fan of its easy-to-follow instructions that introduce many of the basic skills needed to build great puppets. All in all, a great resource for creative folks ready to jump into using puppets to tell stories and entertain."
—Pasha Romanowski, Puppet Builder

"Do you love Muppets? Have you always wanted to be a puppeteer? If so, this is the book for you. A comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about puppets. I teach puppetry at a local university, and once published, this will be our textbook."
—Nat Reed, Puppet Shop Director, SCERA Center for the Arts

"I have a number of 'how to make your own puppet' books, and this one raises the bar considerably. The descriptions are great, the pictures are both fun and informative, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. A home run with bases loaded!"
—Dr. Bruce Chamberlain

"Dressing the Naked Hand is a much needed puppetry manual with tips for both beginners and seasoned puppeteers. A fun and informative guide, this book includes step-by-step illustrated instructions that are easy to follow. How fortunate that seasoned puppeteers such as Dallin, Mark, and Amy have seen fit to impart their wisdom and share trade secrets."
—Carla Morris, Retired Children's Librarian (33 years)

"I absolutely love this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in puppeteering. With its engaging pictures, humor, and easy-to-follow instructions Dressing the Naked Hand would appeal to children and adults alike. It is obvious that this book was created by puppet lovers who are eager to share their love for the art. The book covers everything from how to make puppets and the history of puppet making, to stage making and performing. What I found most appealing about this book is that it shows how to make inexpensive puppets from every-day materials that even professional puppeteers would be happy to use."
—Carolyn Warvel, daniellesplace.com