Raccoon Felt Finger Puppets-- Bandits!

Great to go along with the story The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn...  Just add a red felt or fabric paint heart to the raccoon's paw!
 
How-to's:  Cut out two body pieces from the template below, cutting just a circle (no fingers) for hands, and glue arms together.  When dry, sew body together. Trim as needed and then cut fingers into hands.  For whiskers, knot a few short lengths of thread and glue onto raccoon’s nose.  Then add fabric paint on top for nose and again for eyes.

Raccoon Finger Puppet Pattern

For a story to go along with these guys, try Niccolini's Song, by Chick  Wilcoxen. This is a one-of-a-kind heartwarming tale about human kindness, set in the scene of a train yard (including a few intrusive raccoons!).  A nightwatchmen takes care of trains and his neighbors.  The words are almost poetic in places, as gentle as Niccolini himself. The first time I read it, tears came to my eyes as I remembered my own sleepless nights, pacing my colicky baby to sleep. My son who adores trains loves the illustrations and understands that trains can talk, if you listen. A great way to teach little ones about the gifts we each possess, and how that can fit into the world in surprising ways. Be true to yourself! Be a good listener!! How endearing is this story? I bought it when my son was three. He's 9 now. And it still brings a special feeling of peace and love to us when we read it together.

The classic, sweet raccoon love story is The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn.  A mother eases her young one's worries about the first day of school by sending along love... a sweet kiss in the palm of her child's hand. Whenever he feels lonely at school, he can press his paw to his cheek to feel her love.