Author puppets getting ready for their close-ups.

Giant puppet versions of beloved Connecticut authors Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe (they were neighbors in Hartford’s Nook Farm neighborhood) and the more recently departed Maurice Sendak were created during workshops led by puppeteer Sara Peattie of Boston’s Puppet Free Library.

On Sunday, Sept 21 you can see them on parade in Mansfield beginning at noon. If you’re inspired, the Ballard Institute will have a puppet-making activity booth at the festival suitable for book lovers of all ages.

— Debra Cash