Dressing the Naked Hand

Amy White: Amy is a children’s literature specialist at the Orem Public Library and a wannabe puppeteer. A dedicated Laptime and Storytime enthusiast and blogger, Amy uses puppets on an almost daily basis. Amy is an advocate for early literacy and believes that puppets are a great avenue for sparking an early interest in story. A longtime advocate of storytelling and puppetry, Amy has been an integral part of bringing puppets to the annual Timpanogos Storytelling Festival since 1997. As addicts to all things puppet, Amy and Mark teach puppetry at the Orem Library’s Storyteller Training Workshops on Wannabe Puppetry, along with other local and State puppeteer training series. Mark Pulham: Mark Pulham is Utah Arts Educator of the Year 2006, a teacher, a librarian, a puppeteer, and an actor who currently works for the Orem Public Library. As a teacher Mark often used his puppets to teach the lessons, literally. When his classroom didn’t have an aide, he produced one from the closet—a puppet student teacher who could scold and tell the kids what to do—one the kids really listened to. A regular feature of the Orem Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, Mark’s assistants, Paige Turner and Al Reed, are well known in the community—willing assistants in the effort to keep kids learning and reading all summer long. Mark frequently teaches puppet-making workshops, and performs puppet shows at schools, libraries, and the SCERA Center for the Arts. He was recently featured in Utah Valley Magazine for his life’s work.