The story contains zany versions of classic tales with the fabulous humor that has made this Caldecott Award winning book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith so popular.

You will have fun with Jack, the narrator, who takes you through the twists and turns of this wacky tale. Learn the real story of Chicken Licken or is that Chicken Little? And then there is Cinderumpelstiltskin. Will she have to spin her own dress? Will she go to the ball? The Really Ugly Duckling will make you laugh and cry and everyone will leave with a somewhat revised view of that Little Red Hen. The story is not only entertaining but also explains how a book is constructed.

This is the second Jon Scieszka book that Paul Mesner Puppets has turned into a puppet production, the first being True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Scenery and puppet design: Paul Mesner, Kriss Miller and Pix Smith

Music: Steven Dillman

In the Mirror: Three Tales From Asia is a collection of three folk tales from different countries in Asia. The tales are tied together by two themes: the wisdom of old age and the power of clever females.

1. The Mirror comes from Korea, though similar tales are told in both China and Japan. It relates a series of misunderstandings that occur when people encounter a mirror for the first time. Though comic, it has poignant undertones and deals with interpersonal relationships. The underlying problem is solved by the grandmother. It!s performed with finger puppets and masks based on traditional Korean masks.
2. The Golden Pitcher comes from Turkey and features a vain king and a clever little girl who outwits him and leads him to a change of heart. It continues the mirror motif; the pivotal scene involves a reflection in the king's pond. The puppets are decorative flat puppets with articulated limbs.
3. The Little Old Lady and the Riceballs comes from Japan. It stars an ingenious older heroine who outsmarts two Oni (Japanese trolls) who imprison her in order to sample her delicious cooking.

It features several rod puppets and a combination rod puppet/rod marionette. The show uses a clever stage that rises and folds out of a decorated box. It employs puppeteer Monica Leo as a narrator/storyteller, achieving a synthesis of puppetry and storytelling.

The French Voyageur of 1720 feared only swift waters, bad weather and the occasional singing beaver. This puppet show is a history lesson disguised as silly fun.