Upcoming Events

Public events!  STORYTELLING appearances are in red,

and STORYTIMES at the Livermore Public Library are in brown.

Friday, March 30

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

Monday, April 2

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, April 6

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

Monday, April 9
Livermore Public Library, Civic Center
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Friday, April 13
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime
11am Preschool Storytime

Saturday, April 14

23rd Annual Sunnyvale Library Storytelling Festival

2-4pm: Many tellers, many tales!

(I'll be on at approximately 3:10.  Come early & enjoy the whole event!)

Monday, April 16
Livermore Public Library, Civic Center
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, April 20

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

Monday, April 23

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, April 27

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

Monday, April 30

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, May 4

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

Monday, May 7

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

(Final Spring Pajamatime Family Storytime)

Tuesday, May 8
Wednesday, May 9
Augmented Reality Event
Santa Clara Convention Center
Voice Talent: I'll be heard but not seen, as the theater announcer at this special technology conference & expo!

Friday, May 11

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am Baby/Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

(Final Spring Storytime)

Saturday, May 12

Sunday, May 13

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30 and 2:30 each day

(weather dependent)

Thursday, June 7

Stonestown Galleria

Storytelling at 10am

3251 20th Avenue, San Francisco


Monday, June 11

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, June 15
Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Saturday, June 16

San Leandro Main Library

Storytelling at 5:30pm

Monday, June 18

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, June 22
Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, June 25

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Thursday, June 28
Alameda Free Library, West End Branch
788 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda
Storytelling at 2pm

Friday, June 29
Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Saturday, June 30

Sunday, July 1

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30 and 2:30 each day

(weather dependent)

Monday, July 2

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, July 6

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, July 9

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Thursday, July 12
Daly City Library, Westlake Branch
Storytelling at 10:15am

Friday, July 14

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, July 16

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Thursday, July 19
Milpitas Library
Storytelling at 3pm

Friday, July 20

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, July 23

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Thursday, July 26

Tracy Public Library

Storytelling at 4pm

Friday, July 27

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, July 30

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

Tueday, July 31

Fremont Main Library

Storytelling at 7pm

Friday, August 3

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

Monday, August 6

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Pajamatime Family Storytime

(Final Family Storytime of the Summer)

Friday, August 10

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

10:30am All-Ages Storytime

(Final Storytime of the Summer)

Wednesday, October 24

Santa Maria Public Library

6:30pm: Scary stories for kids ages 7+

421 S. McClelland Street, Santa Maria, California

Saturday, October 27

San Luis Obispo Children's Museum

Storytelling at 11am

1010 Nipomo Street (at Monterey), San Luis Obispo, California


Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for The Dorris-Eaton School, Hacienda CDC, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Heads Up Palo Alto, Children's Academy of Danville, Learning Links Burlingame, Acorn Learning Center, Tutor Time, and Fremont Unified School District.  Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above.  For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

Storyteller at Work (Serious Play)!

A few shots from my performance earlier this year at Children's Fairyland.  Check my schedule for news on my upcoming programs there!

World Storytelling Day, Part 2: My Thoughts

World Storytelling Day is celebrated each year on the date of the Vernal Equinox; in 2012, that takes place Tuesday, March 20.  In my previous post, I asked if there whether there is still any need for traditional storytelling in the modern world.  Below is just a tiny little bit of what I think.

Storytelling harkens to a time when there were no books, and no writing.  So, do we still need storytellers & storytelling today?  What do you think?

Here’s something amazing about the experience people get from watching & listening to a storyteller: in a crowd of 50 listeners, 50 different images of the story are taking place—51, actually, as the image in the storyteller’s head is unique, as well!  A picture book has set images that guide the imagination, but the told story—which is a living thing that can change each time it is shared, even by the same teller—lends itself to each listener’s inner artist.  The told story can adapt to its audience, tailoring itself to the age group, gaining little details as the teller is affected by the reactions of the group.  

Here’s something else about storytelling: we are all storytellers.  Whether we are recounting an old tale we love, or just talking about our day (perhaps changing & enhancing certain details with every retelling), we frequently, in some form, practice our own storytelling skills.  When you & your children watch a traditional storyteller at work, you are not just witnessing the modern extension of an ages-old practice; you are also entering into & benefiting from the tradition.  A child with plenty of experience hearing stories becomes adept at building those mental images I’ve mentioned, learns a lot about narrative, and pieces together how to effectively pass along his own narratives.  The ability to get across an idea in a clear & effective way puts them ahead in school, in business, and in life.  

Also, hearing stories is just plain FUN.  For ANY age (it is by no means just “a kid thing”).

The ideas I’ve shared here barely scratch the surface of the elements & benefits of storytelling—just like a single day of celebration cannot possibly fulfill your story needs for a whole year.  Enjoy World Storytelling Day.  If you can find a way to celebrate on that very day, GREAT!  But it’s better still if you have to miss that one day on the calendar, but find ways throughout the year to honor the enjoyment & many benefits that every single one of us can derive from this classic & modern art form.

World Storytelling Day, Part One: The Question

Once Upon a Time…

...there were no books in the world.  It’s practically unimaginable, isn’t it!  So needless to say, there was no Facebook, or Google—not even a Kindle in sight.  Yes, this was a long time ago—perhaps when your parents were little.

So do you think, since there were no books back then, that there were no STORIES?  We did have stories, and those stories were carried by the storytellers.  Thanks to the art & practice of storytelling, there were entertaining, educational, and even culture-building tales that often happened to feature popular recurring characters.  Did you know Spider-Man originated about this time?  It’s true (well, in a way)!  That trickster Anansi the Spider is a popular character from Western Africa who was at times a spider, at times a man—and sometimes, sort of a spider-man!  The tales spread, grew & changed through years of telling & retelling from person to person.  Filled with the excitement of a tale, anyone could take a turn as a storyteller.

But now we have books.  Do we still need storytellers & storytelling?   Why?

Read Up! Readin' o' the Green

On March 17, a lot of people seem to enjoy eating & drinking green things.  How about some green food for the mind: books!  These are a few titles I like:

Lizette’s Green Sock

Catharina Valckx

Lizette is out on a walk, when she finds a single green sock laying on the ground.  She puts it on.  Will Mommy scream when she finds out?  That’s just one question to be answered over the course of this silly little adventure.  What we never do learn is the identity of the sock’s original owner!

Little Green

Keith Baker

The art is reminiscent of Eric Carle’s in this very colorful book with simple rhymes following a boy’s thoughts as he watches a hummingbird at work.  The boy sits in the window of his room, painting as he watches.  Is he painting a picture of the hummingbird?  Read & find out!

Grandpa Green

Lane Smith

The “Grandpa” of the title creates amazing topiary tableaux depicting what seem to be stories from his life & his imagination.  The amazing garden helps the boy narrator learn his elderly relative’s story, and he helps Grandpa Green carry it on.  You’ll enjoy exploring & talking about the amazing images together.

If you think that the titles so far are lacking in Irish-ness, you may be right-- so here's a great book version of an Irish folktale (even though it's not so green):

Mrs. McCool and the Giant Cuhullin: An Irish Tale

Jessica Souhami

What a girl-power story this is!  Oona McCool’s husband is a giant scaredy-cat, and there’s a giant bully stomping about Ireland, but the quick-witted Oona has the entire situation under control in the space of a single afternoon!  It’s like she says: “Big is big.  But brains are better!”

 Surf on over to your local library's website & reserve your copies of these fun books--and enjoy your readin' o' the green!  Are there any "green" books that are favorites of yours?  Please let me know!

Caution: Storyteller at Work

A trio of snapshots from my March 10 performance at the Sunnyvale Public Library.  I'm excited to be returning quite soon; I'll be there again on April 14, as part of the library's annual Storytelling Festival!

 

Read Up: Two at random

Ready for a couple of more fun reads?  Here are two of my picks-- one fiction, one non-fiction.

“Eat!” Cried Little Pig

Jonathan London & Delphine Durand

The first time I read Little Pig’s hungry tale aloud at a library, the small children were laughing hysterically.  Part of this was surely the squeal-y voice I gave the character, and my wild gesticulation—but the words and images make this kind of telling easy for any reader, I think.  Little Pig’s first word was “EAT!” And “he ate off his plate, and he ate ON his plate”—and there was food everywhere!”   Funny pictures and an increasing mess make this a very attractive book; more straight-laced grownups will appreciate that everyone cleans up nicely in the end.

Life-Size Aquarium

Teruyuki Komiya

A big draw of this book is its huge—yes, life-sized—photographs of aquatic animals including penguins, sea otters, and dolphins (no, the entire animals do NOT always fit on the page; some of them, like the Humphead Wrasse, need a four-page spread)!  The book is great for sitting together with a child or two on the couch, because the margins are absolutely filled with facts that children will find fascinating (for instance, did you know that the dugong—a manatee relative—poops about two pounds a day?  And that each of those is shaped like a sausage?  Make any face you want, but you know children will find that fascinating).  Huge, beautiful images, & lots of learning along the way, make this a fun read-together.  Also check out Life-Size Zoo.