April 27th is National Day of Puppetry. I have two interesting books on the topic. First is ” “Remo Bufano’s Book of Puppetry”, by Author Richmond, 1959. This children’s book gives us the history of puppetry, how to make puppets and marionettes, along with stages and costumes. Then has several plays to perform. It is a great book, back from the day we could take the time to make things to play with.
The second book is “Ventriloquism, Magic With Your Voice”, by George Schindler, 1999. Other than the creepy photograph on the cover, this is a good book first on the history of ventriloquism, and then the how to’s to practice. After one masters the actual talking, the author gives plenty of stories and examples of bantering between a puppet and the owner.
April 27 1961 is also Independance day for Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a West African country, one of the first to be involved with European trade routes, including the slave trade. It later became a sanctuary for repatriated slaves, and was colonised by the British for many years. There has been much turmoil for this country.
I have a very interesting book “Sierra Leone, Its People, Products, Secret Societies” by H. Osman Newland, published 1916. This book speaks of the people, and events going on in Sierra Leone. It is well worth one’s time to read this book, and also to have an understanding of the country, and the history around it. We can travel by books.
As Mark Twain wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 