In this book, I want to share my love for the hand puppet with you. I didn’t play with hand puppets as a child, at least not that I know of, but that changed when I became a kindergarten teacher. Then I discovered the power of the puppet, got fascinated by it and challenged myself to reveal its secret. That puppet had something, I didn’t have, and I was curious if I could use it to help, for example, silent children, children with language delay or trauma.

It all started with Luca. Luca was a child in my class, a small boy with light-brown hair and big brown eyes. He didn't say anything in the circle, he didn't connect with me, and left me often with the feeling I was failing him. I couldn't give him what he deserved, and that frustrated me. One day, I took a puppet with me to the classroom. I had never done that before, I had read somewhere, some children react better to a puppet and I would try that out.

That moment with Luca, almost 30 years ago, was the beginning of my journey with the puppet. Examining the possibilities of the hand puppet for my role as an educator has been by far the most exciting, playful and creative journey I have ever made in my professional carrier. It enriched me and made me a better person and better educator.

I have come to know the hand puppet as a tool that all educators and teachers should have in their bag of tricks. A hand puppet captivates children's attention, tempting them to come out of their shell, to open up and to start communicating. It's astonishing how quickly the friendship between a child and a puppet can grow. The puppet naturally fits into the child's world and easily accesses his needs, his doubts, his feelings and his wishes. Imagine how many options that give you as an

educator, how many doors a puppet can open for you, how much information it can gather for you?

A puppet is just a puppet when you buy one, and it can become an educational tool. It isn’t automatically one. The difference between 'just' a puppet and a puppet as a tool is that the latter has a purpose. He's there for a reason and plans to build a relationship with the child. The relationship is the basis of all what he does. The puppet has his own voice, his own persona, and you decide how and when he appears. When an incident happens, when you decide this is a teachable moment, you take out the puppet. You decide the content and your puppet conducts the conversation, or activity because it is easier for children to respond to your puppet. That’s the whole idea.

Working with a puppet is fun, playful and sparkling. It is also a skill, and like any skill you acquire in your life, it takes time, practice and perseverance. The good news is you don’t need Hollywood qualities for working with a puppet as a tool. It might be a bit awkward in the beginning, it might be out of your comfort zone, but the payoff is phenomenal. Believe me, it’s all worth it.