Upcoming Events

Catch me story telling or "story timing!"  Here's where to look...

Storytimes at the Livermore & Menlo Park Libraries are in brown; storytelling events are in red. Keep checking in for updates!

_______________________________

WEEKLY LIBRARY STORYTIME EVENTS:

MONDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Civic Center) Through 5/12

10:30am Toddler Storytime

11:30am Toddler Storytime

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

THURSDAYS (Menlo Park Library)

11:15 Toddler Storytime

**MUST BE REGISTERED ONLINE**

FRIDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Rincon) Through 5/16

10:30 Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

_____________________________________________

STORYTELLING APPEARANCES:

Thursday, April 17

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Thursday, April 24

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

**FINAL EVENT UNTIL SEPTEMBER**

Saturday, April 26

SUNNYVALE LIBRARY

665 W. Olive Ave

Participating in the library's Annual Storytelling Festival, which begins at 2pm

Saturday, June 5

Sunday, June 6

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.

Wednesday, June 11
PALO ALTO LIBRARY
Location TBD
Storytelling at 3:30pm

Thursday, June 26

LOS OSOS LIBRARY

2075 Palisades Ave.

Storytelling at 11am

Wednesday, July 16

CAMPBELL LIBRARY

77 Harrison Ave.

Storytelling at 3:30pm

Saturday, July 19

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

**SLEEPOVER EVENT** Check the park's website to see how you can camp out at Fairyland!

Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Highlands Elementary (San Mateo), Brier Elementary(Fremont), Ardenwood Elementary (Fremont), Heads Up (Palo Alto), Bright Horizons (Alameda), Fremont Unified School District summer schools,  Sequoia Preschool & Kindergarten (Redwood City), Montevideo Elementary (San Ramon), Live Oak Elementary (San Ramon),Valle Verde Children's Center (Walnut Creek), and Rolling Hills Club (Novato). Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above. For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

Storyteller John Weaver

Check out the book: How to be a Storyteller: Essays and Advice on the Art of Storytelling!

Aloha Telling

April 6, 2014: I had a great time being back for more storytelling fun at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center in Honolulu!  I'm always happy to be a part of the activities at this wonderful, interactive children's museum.

APRIL

Where to catch up with me in April!  For the full list of storytelling & "storytiming," click on the "Upcoming Events" tab above.

Read Up! A fun trio

I've just met these fun characters recently, and I want to make sure you don't miss out!  All feature fun illustrations, and quite a lot to talk about & explore when sharing with the children in your life.




A Monkey Among Us
Dave Horowitz
"Among us?" a child in the group asked the first time I shared this book.  "Yes," I said, "among us!  Here with us!  Somewhere between us--it's among us!"  The book does more than possibly introduce challenging new vocab; it also plays with sounds ("A monkey among a fungus. A monkey, HUMONGOUS"), and lets us get to know a trio of silly animal characters.  I like the collage-style drawings, and the many opportunities to laugh & discuss the increasingly-wacky proceedings.




Early Bird
Toni Yuly
Many parents may be able to recognize this early bird, who wakes up before the sun, raring to go.  Early Bird gets moving, too: across, through, under, up, around and over!  This all happens over the course of several pages, but it's fun to go back and retrace her movements, emphasizing those prepositions.  Of course, the real conversation-starter is when Early Bird meets the Early Worm!



I Can See Just Fine
Eric Barclay
Our first image of Paige shows her holding a book upside-down; the second catches her walking out of the boys' room.  You can imagine what animal she's holding when she announces to her dad that she's found a kitty.  The charm & humor of this book are shouldered almost entirely by Barclay's super-cool retro advertising-art style, which packs in treats on every page.  It may be a book to make kids feel better if they need glasses, but it's a cool sight for anyone.

Check out these books, and let me know what you think!  Do you have any favorite books about monkeys, birds, glasses--or anything else?  Let me know about it, so I can read up!

Storyteller John Weaver

Catch up with me on Facebook!


.

Upcoming Events

Catch me story telling or "story timing!"  Here's where to look...

Storytimes at the Livermore & Menlo Park Libraries are in brown; storytelling events are in red. Keep checking in for updates!

_______________________________

WEEKLY LIBRARY STORYTIME EVENTS:

MONDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Civic Center)

10:30am Toddler Storytime

11:30am Toddler Storytime

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

THURSDAYS (Menlo Park Library)

11:15 Toddler Storytime

**MUST BE REGISTERED ONLINE**

FRIDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Rincon)

10:30 Toddler Storytime

11am Preschool Storytime

_____________________________________________

STORYTELLING APPEARANCES:

Thursday, March 6

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Saturday, March 8

Sunday, March 9

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.

Thursday, March 13

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Thursday, March 20

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Thursday, March 27

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Sunday, April 6

HAWAII CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER

111 Ohe Street, Honolulu

Performing at 11am, included in Discovery Center admission.

I get into the aloha spirit at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center, an awesome children's museum. I get into the aloha spirit at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center, an awesome children's museum.

Thursday, April 10

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Saturday, April 12

Sunday, April 13

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.

Thursday, April 17

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Thursday, April 24

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Saturday, April 26

SUNNYVALE LIBRARY

665 W. Olive Ave

Participating in the library's Annual Storytelling Festival, which begins at 2pm

Thursday, May 1

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

School-Age Storytelling

**Must register online**

4pm

It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Wednesday, June 11
PALO ALTO LIBRARY
Location TBD
Storytelling at 3:30pm

Thursday, June 26

LOS OSOS LIBRARY

2075 Palisades Ave.

Storytelling at 11am

Wednesday, July 16

CAMPBELL LIBRARY

77 Harrison Ave.

Storytelling at 3:30pm

Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Highlands Elementary (San Mateo), Brier Elementary(Fremont), Ardenwood Elementary (Fremont), Heads Up (Palo Alto), Sequoia Preschool & Kindergarten (Redwood City), and Rolling Hills Club (Novato). Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above. For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

Storyteller John Weaver

Check out the book: How to be a Storyteller: Essays and Advice on the Art of Storytelling!

.

Classics, illustrated

If Mama is as angry as she looks, Juan Bobo is in big trouble!

A VERY GOOD day in the life of a storyteller: a fifth-grade regular at my afternoon storytelling sessions drew her rendition of a scene from one of my tales that captured her imagination. This story had stuck with her an entire week, coming out in illustrated form after the subsequent Thursday session. Big smile on my face! 

I encourage my listeners to share their favorite stories with others, to tell them their own way, to write down a version or draw a picture.  I loved seeing this very famous Juan Bobo tale brought to life--and so beautifully.

Do you know about Juan Bobo?  Visit your library and read a version of his story!

Storyteller John Weaver
storytellerjohnweaver.com

Keep up with me on Facebook!

Read Up: Moo!

Better mooo outta the way!

A cow spots a car in her grazing space, and just like that, everything is mooving at a fast pace!

What a book!  David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka manage to tell an engaging, action-packed tale in just a few pages, and just about one word.  

Is "moo" a word?

We've had a lot of fun at storytimes discussing what is happening, so there is absolutely no lack of language and thought involved in processing this hilarious story.  Pick it up, share it, and talk about it--and be sure to moo along!

Check this book out! Have fun with it, & let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books about cows, or cars--or whatever? Please let me know! 

Click on this link & READ UP!  I have many more great books to share with you!

Storyteller John Weaver
Keep up with me on Facebook!

Catch the Story!

Hope you can catch some storytelling this week at the Menlo Park, Sunnyvale, or Palo Alto Library!

Storyteller John Weaver
Keep up with me on Facebook!


.

"Parents, put down your phones."

Do you see it all the time, too: children trying to engage with their parents, only to be ignored in favor of a screen?  

From the KQED Perspective series, here's a very well-put-together commentary on the topic by Pam Miller, a psychotherapist & early literacy adviser.

Hang Up and Talk
Pam Miller sees it all the time -- parents more interested in their phones than talking to their children.

By Pam Miller

I bet we all can agree: parenting is hard work. It's a huge responsibility. It's tiring, never-ending and sometimes unrewarding. Yet, as a therapist and mother, I've never met a parent who didn't want to be good at it.

Still, as I ride the bus, I notice how many parents are not talking to their kids, especially their little kids, the two-to-five year olds, kids old enough to talk. The parents I see are almost always staring at or talking on their cell phones.

Their children try valiantly to engage them in conversation.  The kids look out the window or at their fellow passengers. They're curious, watchful and stimulated. They want to share their experiences, to connect, to feel attached. Yet, too often, these precious opportunities are lost.

Recently, on Muni I heard, "Mommy, look at that house out there."  "Daddy, I'm thirsty."  "Mommy, why is that person in a wheelchair?"  Kids trying to talk things over with their parents. Yet, in each instance the parents were too absorbed in their phones to respond. Some even seemed annoyed.

The kids' reactions? Either they asked again and again, and were reprimanded, or they withdrew in silence, believing they'd done something wrong. Their little faces registered rejection, resignation, and they tugged at my heartstrings.  They were just doing what comes naturally -- trying to share their experiences with a grownup.

Yes, parenting is hard, but parents are the ones who have the most influence on their children's futures. Research is overwhelmingly clear: kids who are spoken to and who hear lots of words, hopefully positive ones, do much better in school than kids who don't. And that means they usually do better in life, too.

What can we do? We can remind adults who care for children to talk to them or to bring a book along to read to them.

We can encourage Muni and BART to put up public service signs, reminding parents to talk to their children on their ride.

Parents, put down your phones. Give your kids a very special gift this season, the gift of conversation.

With a Perspective, this is Pam Miller.

Pam Miller is a San Francisco psychotherapist and an advisor to an early literacy non-profit group.

Listen to the audio at KQED.org

Weekly Storytelling in Menlo Park

Excited to be back to my weekly storytelling event at the Menlo Park Library--something just for the big kids & their grown-ups!

Storyteller John Weaver

Keep up with me on Facebook!



.

Kind Words

"Dear Mr. John, Thank you very much for providing many enjoyable Monday nights of entertainment for our children...and for us."

Love this note left for me by one of my regular storytime families.  Nice bat, too!  I'm bats for the whole thing.

Upcoming Events

Catch me story telling or "story timing!"  Here's where to look...

I do kneel down, but I get up again; you're never going to keep me down!

Storytimes at the Livermore & Menlo Park Libraries are in brown; storytelling events are in red. Keep checking in for updates!

_______________________________

WEEKLY LIBRARY STORYTIME EVENTS:


MONDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Civic Center)
10:30am Toddler Storytime
11:30am Toddler Storytime
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

THURSDAYS (Menlo Park Library)
11:15 Toddler Storytime

FRIDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Rincon)
10:30 Toddler Storytime
11am Preschool Storytime

_____________________________________________

STORYTELLING APPEARANCES:

Thursday, January 9
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, January 16
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

January 17-19, 2014: Presenting "Literacy Building Through Enhanced Read-Aloud" at Santa Clara County Reading Council's Asilomar Reading Conference


Thursday, January 23
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Do I love storytelling at the Sunnyvale Library?  I DO!

Saturday, January 25
SUNNYVALE LIBRARY
665 W. Olive Ave
Storytelling at 3pm


Sunday, January 26
PALO ALTO CHILDREN'S LIBRARY
1276 Harriet Street
Taking part in the library's annual Storytelling Festival, set to take place between 1:30 & 4:30pm.


Thursday, January 23
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, January 30
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, February 6
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Giving them the run-around at Children's Fairyland

Saturday, February 8
Sunday, February 9
CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.



Thursday, February 13
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Thursday, February 20
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, February 27
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, March 6
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, March 13
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, March 20
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!


Thursday, March 27
MENLO PARK LIBRARY
School-Age Storytelling
4pm
It’s a new weekly storytelling series (this is NOT a storytime) for school-agers and their grown-ups!

Sunday, April 6
HAWAII CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER
111 Ohe Street, Honolulu
Performing at 11am, included in Discovery Center admission.

I get into the aloha spirit at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center, an awesome children's museum.

Saturday, April 12
Sunday, April 13
CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.


Saturday, April 26
SUNNYVALE LIBRARY
665 W. Olive Ave
Participating in the library's Annual Storytelling Festival, which begins at 2pm


Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Brier Elementary, The Nueva School & Exceptional Needs Network. Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above. For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

Storyteller John Weaver


Check out the book: How to be a Storyteller: Essays and Advice on the Art of Storytelling!

Off-the-Leash Fun!

Storyteller John Weaver 

storytellerjohnweaver.com

Keep up with me on Facebook!

.