Sandi Sylver: Storyteller-Ventriloquist-Songstress   FAMILY SHOWS   I love family shows!  I am able to present a broad range of material, as the ages of the children and adults present are so diverse. There is always a song or two to compliment a given story, and usually all three of the puppets perform.   Adults love my work; the songs and stories are smart and funny and very different from what they usually expect. Since I can be totally wacko, grownups as well as children find me hilarious!  Everyone is impressed with my Ventriloquist abilities (if I do say so myself), and the families all join in on the mini-ventriloquist lesson that "Toodles" and I always close with.   Although I do not speak Spanish, I presently have in my repertoire, two bilingual stories that I have learned with the help of a Spanish speaking friend.   I especially encourage the presenter or promoter of the show to make sure that the fact that I am a Ventriloquist--as opposed to a Puppeteer, is well advertised.  Older kids think that a Ventriloquist is "cool"; often they think that a Puppeteer is "too babyish" for them.   Ventriloquism is going through a new era, primarily thanks to David Letterman, who has twice hosted "Ventriloquist Week " on his show; Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham ("Senior Jalapeno on a Stick") who is outrageously popular, and Terry Fator, the winner of the television show, "America's Got Talent", who has created a unique form of ventriloquism and vocal impressionism.   At family shows I make sure to perform a lot of interactive stories, and it's truly gratifying for me to watch the interaction within a family.  "We" always present at least one story that has been adapted from a library book.  This way, a family can find it, check it out, and enjoy it together at home if they'd like to.    Everyone loves "The Girls", and when time and the venue allow, it's a great photo opportunity for the family to take pictures of the kids together with "Toodles"!