Katherine Morton and I co-founded the children's theatre company, Long Nose Puppets, seven years ago; we have since adapted four picture books into stage shows, our latest being Arthur's Dream Boat. All our productions have music written by Tom Gray of the band Gomez. Katherine and I both studied illustration so had no prior knowledge of how to make puppets nor any formal theatre training. We have a lot of fun working out how to make puppets as we go along, which means that we have to be inventive and also gives a certain "homemade charm" to our work: who knew an umbrella could make such a convincing octopus?

We hope our shows help the books come to life for children, with each scene change like the turn of the page enhanced by the magic of movement, music, lights and a live audience.

Viewed through this lens, I can't help but look at all picture books as potential puppet shows. Here is a wish list of 10 books that I would love to adapt:

1. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

This is a dark and twinkly book, and transports the reader in a theatrical, almost dreamlike way. The kitchen/cityscape evokes a stage set, the menacing bakers have a "Laurel and Hardy" air about them; I like that they might eat Mickey – the boy hero who finds himself in their cookery – at any moment. The whole audience would chant "Milk in the batter, milk in the batter, we bake cake and nothing's the matter" like a spell. Baking smells would waft out over the audience; everybody would be given a freshly-baked cake as they emerged from the dark theatre out in to the daylight. "And that's why thanks to Mickey we have cake every morning."

2. A Place to Call Home by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz

This is the story of a young family of hamsters leaving their dark cosy nest and venturing out into the world for the very first time. To prepare themselves they wear objects: a tap, a cardboard tube, a boot, rubber-gloves. Thus they can be dark, cosy and safe and at the same time be outside; it's hilarious. Skilled puppeteers can breath life in to inanimate objects through gesture and body language; it is possible to make a character out of a tap even though it doesn't have a face. I would like to see these hamster brothers leave their home (which could be the booth) and bumble out in to the audience. You could have a breathtaking finale at the end bringing the lights up to show THE BIG, BRIGHT, WHOLE WIDE WORLD; which is in fact the audience.

3. Amandina by Sergio Ruzzier

I bought this book for my friend and co-founder of Long Nose Puppets, Katherine Morton. This is the story of Amandina, a little dog who puts on a stage show. The book reminds me of Katherine and me in our studio: rolling out fabric, cutting, sticking, sewing and gluing. We spend a lot of the time laughing as the puppets come to life, hoping that the audiences will find them funny too. We have so much fun making the puppets; it's almost the best bit. I would like to try out a piece of theatre where the audience help to make a puppet; it could become the main character of the show. The audience would have a part in the creation and each show would be entirely unique.

4. Jack and the Flumflum Tree by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts

As Katherine and I make all of our shows together I asked her to contribute to this wish list; she chose a book that takes you to the Isle of Bloweryernose! Katherine says: "Me and my two little ones act this out with face paints and a bag of props. It's a fun action packed adventure with great characters – perfect for the theatre.'

5. Press Here by Hervé Tullet

This is an ingenious book that has also been made into a brilliant app. It may seem an unlikely choice for a puppet show as it has no characters or storyline as such, but I think it could work. When devising our shows we always keep in mind audience participation. This book is all about interaction: you press a spot and more spots appear. It would be exciting to have a show where the audience take control; by clapping, jumping, blowing or waving they could control the action of the puppets and the course of the show.

6. Angelica Sprocket's Pockets by Quentin Blake

This book starts "Angelica Sprocket lives next door. Her overcoat has pockets galore." She produces all sorts of madcap objects from these pockets: motor horns, alligators, a pink and green elephant and so it goes on. I love the idea of a puppet show that you can wear. It would be an oddball one-woman show; as more and more puppets are produced from her pockets the audience would have to become the puppeteers.

7. The Yellow Submarine by The Beatles

I'm going to sneak this one in although it's cheating (it was a very brilliant animation before it became a picture book). This has everything: a surreal sea of holes, Nowhere Man, a Lonely Hearts Club Band and a readymade soundtrack. There would be underwater UV scenes and a "vacuum cleaner beast hoovering everything in its path. The simple reason I chose the Yellow Submarine is because I really, REALLY want to make a giant puppet Blue Meany, what could be better?

8. Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss

As this is a "wish list" I can do anything without worrying about budgets, logistics or health and safety – woohoo! I would like to make this book into a fairground ride, like a ghost train but with puppets instead of ghosts or a rollercoaster. The audience would climb aboard and travel through Dr Seuss's poem meeting all the crazy characters along the way. Like life, this story goes to the most fabulous places but "sometimes you bump and you'll be in a slump". The brilliant Tom Gray writes all of the songs for our shows, I'm sure he could write some fabulous music for the "Boom Bands" to play. The ride of your life!

9. The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey

I've chosen this book because the Doubtful Guest is such an intriguing character. He turns up one day on a family's doorstep in his scarf and little sneakers and proceeds to do all sort of very strange things: "Every Sunday it brooded and lay on the floor/ Inconveniently close to the drawing-room door.'" He is so deadpan he would perfect for puppet-style clowning or a puppet mime artist. I can imagine him going out into the audience and silently causing havoc.

10. Elmer by David Mckee

Elmer is one of my all–time favourite characters. The book has all the simple ingredients for a great puppet show: exotic forest backdrops, fun animal characters and of-course Elmer, the patchwork elephant; he would make a glorious puppet. I can see the troupe of painted elephants at the end playing musical instruments, I can almost hear what Tom might write for the "Elmer's Day song". It leaves me wondering: why hasn't this been done already?

• Polly Dunbar and Long Nose Puppets are taking part in a live online event on 25 April at 11am as part of Scottish Book Trust's Authors Live programme. The event will combine Polly's latest picture book, Arthur's Dream Boat, with puppet theatre and is suitable for children aged 4-7. You can register to watch for free here.