Calliope Puppets: Calliope Kate and the Voice of the River

Karen Konnerth with her Calliope Puppets invites children and adults on a journey down the Mississippi River in an original tall tale, “Calliope Kate and the Voice of the River” (now available in book form from Pelican Publishing). Accompany fearless Kate on her parents ’shanty boat as she straightens out the winding river, rides a giant catfish, and finally battles a hurricane with the musical instrument of her dreams - the loud and cacophonous steamboat calliope! Then, as Kate heads off up the river, her Ma and Pa join forces to tell a comical fishing story from the Brothers Grimm.

45 minutes

Based in New Orleans, LA, Karen Konnerth’s background as a world-traveling, professional puppeteer became the foundation for her specialization in arts-integrated teaching, as well as visual storytelling through writing and illustration for children. She has shared her classroom experience developing and implementing arts-integrated projects with educators at the National Art Education Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for the U.S. Embassy English Language Specialist Program in Central America, Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa.

She has two picture books being released in 2022: Calliope Kate and the Voice of the River (Pelican Publishing, May 9th) and The Snowman Waltz (Sleeping Bear Press, Fall).