By Isabell Macrina
Sherborn Library brought a warm feeling to a snowy day hosting the Caravan Puppets during their Winterfest event, Puppets with a Purpose. The Community Room became a crowded theater packed with kids and adults to enjoy a good old-fashioned puppet show and support a good cause with their donations.
Caravan Puppets focuses on bringing creativity and kindness to children (and adults honestly) through the creative story telling media of puppets. Between classic tales and original stories, there is something for everyone. On Saturday, the puppeteers showed classic tales that the kids in the crowd loved. They started with “The Fox and the Grapes,” one of Aesop’s Fables which they taught the kids was a story with a moral lesson at the end. The children laughed at Foxy Woxy disparaging the grapes, and saw that envy and making people feel bad for what they have is never kind. “The Three Little Pigs” was up next and, of course, they needed little pigs! Kids from the crowd joined the show to be the pigs and hold up their houses, and everyone got up to dance at the end to “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” strummed on guitar. Finally, they told the tale of the Lion and the Mouse, where appearances don’t matter, it’s what on the inside that counts. With brilliantly made puppets and humorous acting, the storytelling engaged even the adults in the audience.
Beyond the puppet show, the event sought to bring joy to the long-term hospital stay patients of UMass Memorial Hospital. Through either being too weak, not having caregivers, or ongoing treatments, these patients are facing obstacles stopping them from being discharged from the hospital. These people have been in the hospital for over two weeks, and if you have ever stayed in the hospital for a bit of time you know it can feel uncomfortable and how you miss the comforts of home. The Friends of Sherborn Library want to change that. They asked people to donate items like décor for the rooms, comfort items like blankets, better quality toiletries than the hospital can provide, and mindfulness activities to keep their minds engaged like coloring books, crosswords, music, games, books, and even more!
The kids got involved in the care too! They put together the baskets, making sure each one had a lotion, book, and more, which was a great way to show them the power of a kind action. There were also blank cards laid out for the kids to decorate and write “get well soon” in and papers showing how to write it in other languages for the kids to follow so everyone, regardless of language, can get a bit of care. They also made small hearts for Valentine’s Day, just to spread a little love.
Combining the joyous storytelling of puppets with a great cause made a beautifully unique event. Donations are still open until next Friday, February 20th, so drop off what you can at the Sherborn Library and make a patient’s day brighter.
