All library locations are closed Monday, Jan 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Puppets and Juggling and Songs—Oh, my!
At Inglewood branch, Mr. Andrew brings his story time A-game every week, and now, Wishing Chair friends are joining in on the fun.
A singing turtle.
A dog telling dad jokes.
A goose squawking the alphabet.
It’s a Wednesday morning at Inglewood Branch Library, and a roomful of wiggly, wide-eyed toddlers have each picked a colorful mat to sit on and are gathered around Children’s Librarian Mr. Andrew. His joyous, rapid-fire delivery of stories and songs using hand puppets, silly voices, Broadway-style singing, and sign language keeps the toddlers clapping, singing—and learning—from the first moment until the last.
Years in the Making
For the past decade and a half at Inglewood, Mr. Andrew has become known far and wide for his ability to educate and entertain children. His original compositions, like “The Library Song” and “I’m a Little Tadpole,” are catchy—and infused with life lessons and affirmations.
“When they are all grown up, they may or may not remember me specifically,” Mr. Andrew said, “but the lessons will last a lifetime.”
All told, Mr. Andrew has been with NPL for nearly 24 years, 16 in this space. He has decorated the walls with colorful artwork and inspiring quotes; the ceiling with dangling mobiles of hand-painted creatures—animals of land, air, and sea.
A small two-person-sized puppet theater dubbed “The Tichenor House,” has been painted to his specifications, with delicate flowers, herbs, and plants, each known to have healing and restorative properties (and a monarch butterfly in remembrance of his mother).
“There’s a reason for everything you see in this room,” Mr. Andrew said. “Everything is meant to leave an impression, to teach, to heal, and to open up hearts.”
Working Together
There’s a special guest on this particular day, another 20-plus-year NPL staff member and puppeteer: Wishing Chair Productions’ Library Pete. He has brought his puppetry, voice talent, guitar skills, and even juggling acumen to Inglewood’s children’s department.
Normally Library Pete is (literally) behind the scenes at the Main Library, bringing marionettes to life in the Children’s Department’s puppet theater. But with Main temporarily closed since the June 10 parking garage fire, he, like other Main employees, is lending his talents to neighborhood branches to add something extra to existing programming.
“It's an honor, and I feel very privileged to be able to come and get to join in this wonderful program at Inglewood,” he said. “It's a neat experience to get to share some of the characters I've done for a long time with a whole new group of people. It's nice to be able to offer something that I've done for years to a fresh set of eyes and ears.”
One of those characters is Tommy Dog, a fuzzy brown hand puppet with a silly sense of humor. While the children are focused on Mr. Andrew, Library Pete ducks into the Tichenor House, and the tiny curtain suddenly parts and Tommy Dog appears. It’s possible at this point Mr. Andrew and Library Pete are ad libbing:
Mr. Andrew: “Hello, how are you, Tommy Dog?”
Tommy Dog: “Super terrific!”
Mr. Andrew: “What are you up to today?”
Tommy Dog: “I’m listening to some tapes.”
Mr. Andrew: “What kind of tapes are you listening to?
[Tommy dog pulls out a roll of masking tape and holds it to his ear.]
Tommy Dog: “If you listen closely, you can hear the ocean, isn’t that right?”
The parents groan, and the children laugh and shout “noooooo!”
More silliness ensues, and later Library Pete sings a song and reads a story about flowers, inviting the children to call out the colors they see.
Mr. Andrew winds things up with a song, and the children pile up their mats as they file out with their parents, giving high fives and hugs.
Friends Supporting Friends
As the room empties, two Main Library Children’s Department staff members hang back. They are here to support their colleague—and maybe pick up some performance tips. Like Library Pete, Children’s Associate Haylee Blystone and Librarian Nikki Glassley are supporting children’s departments in several different branches until Main reopens.
“We heard Pete and Tommy Dog were going to be here so we thought we’d come check it out,” Blystone said. “It’s cool seeing how other people do their story times.”
Glassley added, “We're going to help with story time at Bellevue and with Homeschool Friends at Donelson. It’s a unique opportunity to partner with different branches and bring everyone’s talents together to create something new. Even when you haven’t worked with someone before, you just mesh because we all care about working with children.”
Time for an Encore
Blystone has a special favor to ask of Mr. Andrew. She asks if he’ll perform one of her favorites, “Shelley,” a song about a shy turtle who loves to sing. Mr. Andrew, of course, obliges and grabs his Shelley puppet. As if on cue, Library Pete pulls up a chair, gets out his acoustic guitar and begins playing along as though they’d been performing together for years.
Afterwards hugs are shared, and each staff member heads back to their respective posts.
“We usually don’t have time to get out to see children’s programming at the other branches,” Library Pete said. “This really makes you feel connected, and gives you an appreciation for what your colleagues are doing. It has been so inspiring to be a part of this.”
Upcoming Storytimes at Inglewood Branch Library
Babies and Books Presents Wonder Baby!
Mondays, 10:00–11:00 AM
An enriching program for babies (0–24 months) and their caregivers that includes stories, songs, sign language, puppets, and creative play.
see all babies and books story times
Preschool Story Time
Wednesdays, 10:30–11:30 AM
A story time for preschoolers (ages 2–5) and their caregivers that includes interactive and fun-filled stories, songs, sign language, puppets, and crafts.
More Resources
Check the Library Calendar for specific dates, times, and locations for story times at all 20 branches.
