PUPPETalk™ is more than a program—it’s a legacy. It draws its strength and inspiration from the visionary work of three world-renowned pioneers in pediatrics and child development, whose groundbreaking contributions continue to shape the lives of children and families around the globe. PUPPETalk™ honors the legacies of Drs. Stephen Berman, Bonnie Camp, and William Frankenburg by continuing their mission: empowering families, nurturing development, and transforming lives—one puppet at a time.
Dr. Stephen Berman, MD
A towering figure in pediatrics and public health, Dr. Berman dedicated his life to improving child health both locally and globally. As past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a longtime professor with an endowed Chair in Academic General Pediatrics at the University of Colorado, and director of the Center for Global Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, his influence spanned continents.
From advising the World Health Organization and ministries of health throughout the world to championing child healthcare legislation in Colorado, Dr. Berman’s work was both visionary and deeply personal. Well known for his contributions to pediatric education, he authored and edited numerous articles and books on pediatric decision making, child advocacy, and health policy.
His proudest legacy? The success of his many students and mentees. Among them was Dr. Gretchen Domek, with whom he created a community health program in Guatemala that first introduced finger puppets as tools for early language development. His decade-long mentorship laid the foundation for what would become PUPPETalk™.
Dr. Bonnie Camp, MD, PhD
Dr. Bonnie Camp has been a trailblazer in developmental and behavioral pediatrics for over half a century. She was a professor at the University of Colorado for many decades, where her research on early brain development and social behavior in young children remains influential today. Through her work with the nonprofit Bright by Three and the Denver Public Schools, she empowered families and educators with tools to support children’s learning and development, earning her the American Academy of Pediatrics Education Award.
She received the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s highest alumni honor, the Silver and Gold Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the community and contributions to the art and science of medicine. In the 1970s, Dr. Camp discovered the power of finger puppets in helping teenage mothers bond with their newborns—a simple yet profound insight that would echo through decades of practice. Her longtime mentorship and collaboration with Dr. Domek brought this idea full circle, from Colorado to Guatemala and China, and back again, enriching the roots of PUPPETalk™.
Dr. William Frankenburg, MD, MS
A pioneer in pediatric preventive care, Dr. William Frankenburg revolutionized child development screening by creating the Denver Developmental Screening Test with Dr. Josiah Dodds in 1973. Released as the Denver II in 1992, it was adapted for use throughout the world. His work made early identification of developmental problems an integral part of pediatric practice that became accessible worldwide.
Dr. Frankenburg was a professor and founding director of the JFK Child Development Center at the University of Colorado. As a consultant to UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and many governments and institutions around the world, his impact was global and enduring. He was the recipient of the U.S. Senior Science Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, an American Academy of Pediatrics Special Achievement Award, and the C. Anderson Aldrich Award in Child Development.
His legacy lives on through the endowed William K. Frankenburg Distinguished Professorship, awarded to Dr. Domek, whose work with PUPPETalk™ continues his mission of early intervention and advocacy.
PUPPETalk™ 