What Is a Crankie? Is a Crankiest a grumpy person?

A Crankie or moving panorama is a very old storytelling art form that can be found throughout the world, and in many different forms. An illustration on a scroll is wound onto two spools. The spools are loaded into a box , which has a viewing window. The scroll is hand-cranked while a story is told, a song is sung or a tune is played. The person operating the crankie is a crankist, who is usually a creative, good-natured person!

Crankies come in all sizes from ones made from matchboxes, candy tins and shoes boxes, to large wooden ones on a tabletop or huge mechanically-cranked scrolls many feet long. Shadow puppets and other puppets are often used along with the crankie stories and songs.

Join us for a Crankie Puppet Show on Thursday October 10 at 10:00 AM at Henry’s Books! This event is perfect for kiddos of all ages and will include storytelling and songs.

While there isn’t a charge for this event, a suggested donation of $10 per family helps cover the cost.