Many years ago, in my kindergarten class at the Honolulu Waldorf School, the children and I were exploring the world of sea creatures with some colored shadow puppets. It was springtime—and we were looking for some new ways to play!

A few of the oldest children and I had crafted colored shadow puppets from kite paper.  We took turns holding them up to a screen made from white cotton cloth stretched over a wooden frame. The sunlight pouring in through our classroom window served as our natural spotlight. Together, we created simple yet magical little stories.

Later, as I reflected on our experience, I was reminded of the beloved Hawaiian song “ʻŌpae Ē”, composed by the legendary Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. This song draws inspiration from a traditional Hawaiian moʻolelo (legend) in which a boy and some ocean creatures attempt to rescue his sister, who has been captured by a puhi (moray eel) and taken to its underwater cave. Though the larger sea creatures fear the puhi, it is the smallest among them—humble ʻopihi (limpets)—that ultimately save the day through quiet courage and persistence.

To set the stage for the story, I developed a short opening scene using traditional table puppets. This opening story helped introduce the legend and offered a gentle close as well, turning “ʻŌpae Ē” into a full-fledged puppet show. We performed our puppet show for the kindergarten children, using table puppets and colored shadow puppets.   The stage itself was crafted from plywood, with cotton fabric stretched over each opening. Before painting the shadow scenes, I lightly misted the cloth with water to help the acrylic paints flow. 

The children enjoyed this experience very much! The show we created became a favorite and later, was performed numerous times (by early childhood teachers) at our school’s annual faire.  We included songs with ukulele and guitar accompaniment. Music, either singing or instrumentation or both,  has always been an integral and essential part of my puppetry work.