Kid Pics for the week

strings attached
"Musical Marionettes": Clotilde Otranto conducts Phoenix Symphony in this meshing of orchestral works and puppetry, the final entry in the ensemble's Family Concert Series. Puppeteers Bob and Judy Brown put string beings through their paces in sequences titled "Clown Alley," "Petting Zoo," "Fright Night" and "Future Tense," which are set to works by Tchaikovsky, Offenbach, Copland and Richard Strauss. Showtime is 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets are $6, available at the symphony box office and Dillard's. Call 264-6363 or 678-2222.

"Puppets on Deck": Phoenix Guild of Puppetry and Great Arizona Puppet Theater (see "On the Stage," below) co-sponsor this event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, on the west end of Margaret T. Hance Deck Park, located atop the I-10 tunnel at Central, between Third Street and Third Avenue. On the agenda: performances by GAPT, Flutterby Puppets, and Sunset Safety Kids, plus puppet-making sessions and a bazaar. Admission is free; proceeds from sales benefit the Center for Puppetry, which is scheduled to open soon in the former LDS Second Ward Church at Third Avenue and Latham. For details call 277-1275.

arts and minds
Madeline H. Hardy Innercity/Multicultural Invitational Youth Art Exhibit: The Consortium of Black Organizations and Others for the Arts (COBA) and other groups sponsor the 14th annual exhibit of works by Valley junior high and high school students. This year's exhibition, which continues through Friday, May 17, at Phoenix OIC Building, 39 East Jackson, also includes contributions by former participants. Viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Call 254-5081.

"Poets and Painters": This touring exhibit of multimedia works by students at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the result of a program called "art engineering," an intensive, kid-led exploration of the art-instruction techniques of tomorrow. The installation opens Saturday, May 11, and continues through Sunday, August 18, in Young at Art Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. Viewing is free. Call 994-2787.

mom's the word
Mother and Son Fishing Day: Brave moms join their youngsters in attaching slippery worms to sharp hooks in this pre-Mother's Day session, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the lake at Kiwanis Park, Mill Avenue and All-America Way in Tempe. The fee is $8 per person. Call 350-5201.

"A Salute to Mom": Phoenix Boys Choir performs a program of works by Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Richard Rodgers and the Beatles at this show, which starts at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at Scottsdale Center for the Arts Amphitheater, 75th Street and Main. Tickets are $15, $10 for students and seniors, $8 for kids age 14 and under, available at the center and Ticketmaster. Call 264-5328 or 784-4444.

for pet's sake
Frisbee-Disc Community Finals: Valley canine "athletes" and their disc-flinging masters show off their skills at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 11, on the soccer fields at Encanto Park, 15th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard; registration for participants precedes at 5:30. Viewing is free. The event is a precursor to the Southwest regional finals planned on Saturday, June 8, in Pasadena, California. Call 1-888-444-2576.

Rabies Vaccinations: In conjunction with National Pet Week, three Spay & Neuter Clinic branches are offering free rabies shots for dogs and cats on Saturday, May 11. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon at 12416 North 28th Drive, Suite 18 (call 863-0116); 9 a.m. to noon at 9015 East Via Linda, Suite 102, in Scottsdale (call 314-3325); and 2 to 5 p.m. at 1425 West Southern, Suite 12, in Tempe (call 829-1002).

among the animals
"H2O! Respect for Water": Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, hosts the latest installment in its educational festival "The Celebration of the Natural World," which continues through September. "Respect" features activities centering on that cool, clear stuff that's such a precious commodity here in the desert; it continues through Friday, May 31. Participation is free with regular admission: $7, $6 for seniors, $3.50 for kids ages 4 to 12, free for younger children and members. Call 273-1341 or 273-7771.

on the stage
Goodbye Marianne: Irene Kirstein Watts wrote this play, recommended for kids age 10 and over, about a Jewish girl in 1938 Nazi Germany whose parents send her to Canada for her safety. Final performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9; 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10; 2 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at Mesa Youtheatre, located at Mesa Arts Center, 155 North Center. Tickets are $7, $5 for those age 18 and under. Call 644-2560.

Great Arizona Puppet Theater: Final performances of The Eagle Brothers, based on a Hopi legend, are at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 9; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, May 10; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at the theatre, 3302 North Seventh Street. The Three Little Pigs opens with a performance at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, and continues through Sunday, June 9. Admission is $4.50. Call 277-1275.

Imagine!: The collection of original playlets, including Star Patrol, Lunch Gang, Faraway Dream and Ugly Thing Under the Bed, was penned by young scribes in the Stage Kids '96 program at Playwright's Workshop Theatre, 3302 North Seventh Street. This week's performances are scheduled at noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11. Additional shows are planned at the same times Saturday, May 18. Tickets are $5, $3 for kids under 12. For reservations and details, call 279-5151.