Pictured here is my puppet version of the nine cats from the book "Red Cat, Red Cat, Red Cat, Blue."

When I line them up in a bookstore or at a craft fair, it starts to look and feel a little like a party, or better yet: a playful picnic!

Surprisingly, children of all ages, including teenagers, enjoy the brightly colored puppets. It is so sweet when a little two year old cautiously reaches for one of them, and equally rewarding when a twelve year old eagerly tries one out.

I like to ask them all: which one is your favorite? If I can, I even let them hold their favorite puppet during the story.

You know, the green and red cat puppets seem to be favorites with little boys. Girls generally prefer the white one.

It turns out that the adults are the ones who have the most difficult time with this question. Some parents almost look confused when I ask them which one they like the most? With a shrug and sideways smile, their eyes and body language ask "Why would an all-grown-up adult such as myself have a favorite cat puppet?"

Dear friends, oh, why not? Let's go the park, twirl on the swing, eat a popsicle, and for goodness sake let's make a leap and choose a favorite cat puppet! We don't need to make life any more serious than we have to, do we?"

And just for the record, I am still a Blue Cat Lady all the way. :)