![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lh5.ggpht.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/SStqw7t6GZI\/AAAAAAAAJnA\/zgamR-C08qs\/s720\/IMG_0895.JPG\" "\\"pierres")
<\/p>\ni have a “mascot” puppet.\u00c2\u00a0 his name is pierre.\u00c2\u00a0 he is a very silly bird.\u00c2\u00a0 for instance, he doesn’t have arms or legs and one time when i did a storytime about shoes he insisted that if we were going to talk about shoes he at least needed feet!\u00c2\u00a0 so, i made him some out of stripey pipe cleaner.\u00c2\u00a0 they’re slightly unruly feet, but pierre doesn’t seem to mind.\u00c2\u00a0 pierre is very popular at my storytimes.\u00c2\u00a0 he helps me to pick out the books from the suitcase and usually has something snarky to say to amuse the adults in the room (including me!).\u00c2\u00a0 one day, early in pierre’s career, i accidentally left him at home.\u00c2\u00a0 i explained to the kids that pierre was on vacation visiting his aunt (in paris, texas–his home town.\u00c2\u00a0 he has a french accent, but it’s fake–he just think it makes him sound sophisticated) and that “harry monster” was stepping in for the day, but the kids were so very sad (some were even frightened of harry and he is the most goofy, gentle monster puppet i’ve ver seen–his tongue is heart-shaped!) that pierre has never gone on vacation since.<\/p>\n
at a recent evening family storytime, a young five-year-old girl whom i’ve known since before she was born (i sang with her parents in a local choir) and who is a big fan of pierre (she inexplicably always calls him “peter” although i’ve never called him by his english name!) presented me with a lovely portrait of pierre.\u00c2\u00a0 can you see the resemblance?<\/p>\n
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check it out!\u00c2\u00a0 she’s got the striped legs, the stripes on his neck, the blue hat…i am so impressed!<\/p>\n
and look at these tiny details:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lh6.ggpht.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/SStq316jraI\/AAAAAAAAJoY\/OhdxlO9uyIM\/s720\/IMG_0906.JPG\" "\\"bird\\"")
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she included a bird stamp (just like pierre!)…<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/SStq4YrqXuI\/AAAAAAAAJog\/w0Y_5fO9HLg\/s720\/IMG_0907.JPG\" "\\"yrreb\\"")
<\/p>\n
and a yrreb, er… berry stamp (with tiny illustrated berries).\u00c2\u00a0 and on the back side?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lh6.ggpht.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/SStq3LzyEaI\/AAAAAAAAJoQ\/MRGv_srjbLo\/s720\/IMG_0905.JPG\" "\\"me!\\"")
<\/p>\n
a portrait of me!\u00c2\u00a0 hmmm…. maybe i should lay off the butternut squash–i look a little jaundiced.\u00c2\u00a0 or maybe i just bear a striking resemblance to little miss sunshine<\/a> from the mr. men and little miss books?\u00c2\u00a0 i could live with that.\u00c2\u00a0 this is one of my all-time favorite pieces of kid art gifts.\u00c2\u00a0 it might even be better than this one<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" i have a “mascot” puppet.\u00c2\u00a0 his name is pierre.\u00c2\u00a0 he is a very silly bird.\u00c2\u00a0 for instance, he doesn’t have arms or legs and one time when i did a storytime about shoes he insisted that if we were going … Continue reading
![little miss sunshine<\/a> from the mr. men and little miss books?\u00c2\u00a0 i could live with that.\u00c2\u00a0 this is one of my all-time favorite pieces of kid art gifts.\u00c2\u00a0 it might even be better than](\"http:\/\/newsimg.bbc.co.uk\/media\/images\/41500000\/jpg\/_41500258_littlemisssunshine.jpg\"){kind=link}