Puppets spread holiday cheer at Bartlett library

A unique version of that famous jolly happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button nose came to life Saturday for more than 50 families at the Bartlett Public Library as noted puppeteer Dave Herzog performed "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" to kick off the holiday season.

The show featured Frosty's little brother, Popsicle, and many more winter characters like Walter, the Basset Hound, which was a huge hit with the kids.

"I like his creativity and variety," said a laughing Revita DeChalus of Bartlett, an adult member of the audience who brought her granddaughter Kharma Barkley, 7, of Jacksonville, Illinois.

Herzog has been a full-time professional puppeteer for 38 years, his fingers flying over the strings, giving his creations life and bringing kids laughter. He performs thousands of his 45-minute shows in theaters, amusement parks, schools and libraries nationwide, according to his website. He's also been a frequent performer at Navy Pier for 14 years, and is the creator of one of the Pier's signature characters, "Fathom, the Sea Serpent."

Besides performing about 375 shows a year, Herzog creates all of the hand-carved marionettes used in his performances in the basement of his Chicago home.