Draw and Tell Stories - Getting Started

Before I delve into the various sources of draw and tell stories, I would like to talk a little about this method of storytelling.

Try it, you'll like it!

Don't be intimidated by the fact that you have to draw a picture. It's really easier than it looks and no drawing talent is needed. What is needed is the willingness to spend some time practicing. As with any newly learned skill, it may seem difficult at first but will become easier with each story. Start with simple stories and remember that you are aiming for a recognizable image not great art. If you have ever doodled, you can do draw and tell stories. The picture you are drawing is broken down into steps so you are only drawing a small part of the picture each time you tell part of the story. Learn those steps and practice them and before you know it you will have mastered your first tale.

Why spend the time learning how to do draw and tell stories?

Learning this method of storytelling is worthwhile because it appeals to a wide age range. Although very young children are not impressed by the "magic" of a picture appearing as a story is told, older toddlers like to guess what you are drawing. If you work with only babies and toddlers, learning this new technique may not be worth the time. (Of course if you are interested, learn it anyway for you never know when you might use it.) Preschoolers love guessing so this is a great format to use with them. I often did a draw and tell story at the start of storytime to introduce the theme. The challenge is that the children become quite good at guessing which means you will eventually need to learn more complex stories. Draw and tell stories are great for class visits. Older children have usually not encountered them. They also appeal to adults making them a good choice for an all ages or family storytime. You do not need to use this technique for every storytime. I like to use a variety of storytelling techniques including cut and tell stories, puppets, props and the flannel board. Draw and tell stories are simply another tool to add to your storytelling repertoire.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

*As with choosing the books for storytime, keep the age of the children in mind.

*Memorize the drawing sequence not the story. Tell the story in your own words. Feel free to make changes so that you are comfortable telling the story.

*Practice drawing your story on scrap paper. I start out using small pieces of scrap paper to memorize the drawing sequence. Once I have done that I move up to the backs of outdated flyers to get comfortable telling the story. Use a white board or chalk board to practice a full sized drawing. 

*There are a few options for drawing. You can use a white board or a chalk board thus eliminating the need for paper. However, get one that can easily be turned around because some of the best stories require the picture to be drawn upside down. Also some drawings look better when the board is on its side. Some stories may require folding as well as drawing so if you want to do those you will have to use paper. I use 18" by 24" newsprint paper. I use the cardboard from the back of a used up pad as my backing. (If you are just starting and thus have no finished pad, there is no law that says you can't take the back off of the pad you are using.) I clip the paper to the cardboard. It is lightweight and easy to turn. I place it on an easel. It is a good size for large groups. Since markers bleed through paper, the cardboard protects whatever is behind it. For outreach I would clip sheets of paper to one side and move a sheet to the other side as needed.

Telling One Story Five Ways - Conclusion

This is the last of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways."

"The Fisherman and His Wife" has been presented five ways - as a board story, using stick puppets, using props, as a draw and tell story and as a cut and tell story. Once I wrote my version of the story, I only needed to make minor changes to fit each of the different formats. Although I enjoyed the creative challenge of telling one story five ways, the reason I did so was to show that stories can be easily adapted to various formats and to encourage storytellers to try something different. If something does not work one way, I change it to something that does work. By doing so I am no longer limited to what is available when I plan my programs. I make changes all the time. I change stories so that I am comfortable telling them. I change stories to increase their appeal to my audience. This viewpoint has actually made my programs more creative and I've had positive feedback from my audience. It has certainly made planning my family storytimes much easier! Presenting the program is also more fun especially when I come up with something as over the top as "Sam and the Acorn."

Of course there are more than five ways to tell a story. I chose these five because they are the formats I use the most. Sometimes I mix formats. I use props and stick puppets when telling "The Birds and the Trees" and I use board figures and props when telling "The Most Wonderful Egg in the World."  "The Fisherman and His Wife" could also be performed by storytellers such as those done by Beyond the Book Storytimes or it could be adapted for Readers' Theater with students performing.

Now I must say farewell to the humble fisherman and his overachieving wife. I hope that their "stories" have inspired you. Now I must start thinking about my summer family storytimes. My library is doing the CSLP program, "Dig Into Reading." So far I have only a couple of stories, "Mole's New Hole" and a vegan version of "Herman the Worm."

The Fisherman and His Wife - Cut and Tell Story

This is part of a series of posts about Telling One Story Five Ways. It is also my Flannel Friday contribution for this week.

A cut and tell story will capture an audience's attention. Children want to see what you are cutting out and often try to guess. It is also great to take "on the road" since a piece of paper and a pair of scissors is all you need. All the preparation is done ahead of time. The storyteller just has to be careful that the audience does not see that part or the "magic" will be spoiled.

This cut and tell version of The Fisherman and His Wife is fairly easy to do. Years ago I told a more complicated version. I think it can be found in Paper Stories by Jean Stangl. I told it probably 15 years ago and I no longer have access to the book so I'm hoping I have the correct title. In this version, the storyteller is cutting out a crown. Use gold or yellow 8.5" x 11" paper. It can be easily crumpled at the end of the story. Fold the paper in half from top to bottom. Place the left side of the pattern along the fold and trace the pattern onto the paper with a pencil.

The Fisherman and His Wife - A Cut and Tell Story

by Linda Meuse

Notes from the Story Room

Long ago there was a fisherman who lived with his wife in a tiny shack by the sea. They had nothing but tfisherman was content.

One day the fisherman caught a most unusual fish. (Cut out A - the fish) The fish could talk! It asked the fisherman to set him free. The fisherman set him free and went home to tell his wife about his strange experience. "You should have made the fish grant you a wish since you spared his life," said the wife. "Go back and tell him that I want to live in a nice house." The fisherman went back to the sea. (Cut from 1 to 2) He called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." The fish rose out of the waves (Show fish) and asked, "What does she want?" "My wife wants to live in a nice house," answered the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish diving back into the sea. The fisherman returned home (Cut from 2 to 3) to find a nice house where the shack had been.

Alas, the wife was not content. She wanted more. "Go to the fish and tell him I want to live in a fine mansion," said the wife. The fisherman returned to the sea (Cut from 3 to 4) and called the fish. "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," said the fisherman. Again the fish rose above the waves (Show fish) and asked, "What does she want?" The fisherman answered, "My wife wants to live in a fine mansion." "Her wish is granted," replied the fish as he went back into the sea. The fisherman returned home (Cut from 4 to 5) to find a fine mansion where the house had been.

Still the wife was not content. She told her husband, "Go tell the fish that I want to become king and live in a castle." Again the fisherman went to the sea (Cut from 5 to 6) and called to the fish, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." Again the fish appeared (Show fish) and asked, "What does she want?" "She wants to be king and live in a castle," said the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish as he leaped back into the sea. The fisherman returned home (Cut from 6 to 7) to find a castle where the mansion had been. (Cut B removing excess) His wife was wearing a crown. (Show B holding ends together to make a small crown)

Yet the wife was not content. "This crown is too small and too plain. I want one with a large gem in the middle. Also, I want to be emperor and live in a magnificent palace. Go back and tell the fish." The fisherman returned to the sea (Cut from 7 to 8) and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." The fish appeared (Show fish) and asked, "What does she want?" The fisherman replied, "She wants a bigger crown with a gem in the middle. She wants to be emperor and live in a magnificent palace." "Her wish is granted," said the fish going back into the sea. The fisherman returned home (Cut from 8 to 9) to find a magnificent palace where the castle had been. His wife was wearing an even bigger crown. (Open paper to show the crown)

Even with all that the wife was not content. "I want to rule all of the stars and all of the planets. I want to rule the universe! Go tell the fish," said the wife. Sadly the fisherman returned to the sea and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." The fish came up out the sea (Show fish) and asked, "What does she want?" The fisherman answered, "She wants to be ruler of the universe." "That she cannot do," said the fish. "She has asked for too much. She will have to be content with nothing." The fish dove back into the sea never to be seen again. The fisherman returned home to find the shack back where the palace had been. Indeed the fisherman and his wife were back where they had started - with nothing. (Crumple crown and toss)

 

Pattern



I outline my pattern in black marker. I then place it under the paper I am using. The maker shows through the paper making it easy to trace the pattern. The photo below shows this. If I were using heavier paper, I would cut out the pattern, place it on the paper and trace around it.

Below are the final pieces. I taped the small crown to show how I would hold it to show the audience.

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is hosted by Amanda of the Trails & Tales blog.

The Fisherman and His Wife - Draw and Tell Story

This is a part of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways." It is also my Flannel Friday contribution for this week.

This tale is fairly long for a draw and tell story. It can be done, though the resulting story is one for an experienced draw and tell storyteller. The reason I made it into a draw and tell story is to show how a single story can be adapted to various formats.

This story takes a bit of preparation. It has to be drawn on paper which will be folded in half lengthwise at the end of the story. Since markers bleed through most paper a second sheet of paper should be glued to the bottom half on the back. I took a second piece of paper, folded it in half and glued the halves together, and then I glued that to the back of the first piece of paper. I then folded the paper in half to create a fold line to use as a guide for the placement of the figures and buildings.

To help show how the drawing comes together, I used different colored markers in the examples below. When actually doing the drawing a single color is all that is needed. However, I liked how the final drawing turned out. I am definitely tempted try telling the story using the different colors. It would be a challenge.

It is also going to take a bit of time drawing the buildings as they get more elaborate. I would talk about the how each one differs from the previous one as I draw them.

The Fisherman and His Wife: A Draw and Tell Story

 Linda Meuse

Notes from the Story Room

Long ago there a fisherman (1) and his wife (2) who lived in a very small shack (3) by the sea. One day the fisherman went down to the sea to fish as usual. He quickly felt a tug on his line and pulled up the largest and most unusual fish he had ever seen (4). He was quite startled when the fish begged for his freedom. The fisherman released the  fish back into the sea.

When the fisherman returned home, he told his wife about his strange experience with a talking fish. "You should have made him grant you a wish!" she said. "You spared his life and he owes you a wish. Go back and ask him for a nice house for I am tired of living in a tiny shack." The fisherman went back to the sea (5) and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish" "What does she want?" asked the fish as it came up above the waves. "She wants a nice house to live in," replied the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish disappearing under the waves. The fisherman returned home to find a nice house (6) where the shack had been.

A week passed but the wife was not happy. "This house is not big enough," said the wife. "Go back and tell the fish we need a fine mansion." The fisherman returned to the sea (7). "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," called the fisherman. The fish appeared and asked, "What does she want?" "She wants a fine mansion," said the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish diving back into the sea. The fisherman returned home to find a fine mansion where the house had been (8).

A week passed but the wife was still not happy. She said, "Go back to the sea and tell the fish that I want to live in a castle. Since I will have a castle I should be king as well." The fisherman went back to the sea (9). He called to the fish, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." Again the fish appeared and asked, "What does she want?" The fisherman answered, "She wants to live in a castle and be king." "Her wish is granted," said the fish. The fisherman returned to find a castle (10) where the mansion had been. His wife was wearing a crown (11).

Another week passed. The wife was still not happy so she said to her husband, "Go back to the fish and tell him I want to be emperor and live in a magnificent palace." The fisherman returned to the sea (12) and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want now?" asked the fish. The fisherman replied, "She wants to be emperor and live in a magnificent palace." "Her wish is granted," said the fish. The fisherman returned to find a magnificent palace (13) where the castle had been. His wife was wearing an even bigger crown (14).

Was the wife finally happy? No. A week later the wife said to her husband, "Tell the fish that I want to rule the universe and everything in it including the moon and the stars." Sadly the fisherman returned to the sea (15). The fisherman called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want?" asked the fish. "She wants to rule the universe and everything in it," answered the fisherman. "That she cannot do," replied the fish. "Now she must live with what she deserves." The fish dove into the sea never to be seen again and the fisherman returned home to find their tiny shack where the magnifcent palace had been (16).

Drawing Sequence:
(1) Draw fisherman with fishing pole near the bottom of the paper
(2) Draw wife below the fold line leaving enough room to draw the crowns on her head later in the story
(3) Draw the shack in the center with the bottom on the fold line
(4) Draw the fish
(5) Draw waves
(6) Draw house using the shack as a door
(7) Draw waves
(8) Draw mansion around house
(9) Draw waves
(10) Draw castle around mansion
(11) Draw crown
(12) Draw waves
(13) Draw palace around castle
(14) Draw larger crown
(15) Draw waves
(16) Fold bottom half up and draw the shack again

The front - with drawing sequence numbers:

The back:

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is being hosted by Library Quine of the Loons and Quines blog.



The Fisherman and His Wife - With Props

This post is part of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways." It is also my Flannel Friday contribution for this week.

Next up - using props to tell the story of "The Fisherman and His Wife." I love using props in storytime. Not only do props appeal to the audience but they help me as a storyteller, working much like the board figures do by providing clues to what comes next in the story. Props can be very simple or quite elaborate. They can be found objects or silly hats. Almost anything can be used as a prop as long as it fits the story. See the "Prop Stories" page for some of the props I have made.

I have chosen two types of props for "The Fisherman and His Wife." One is quick and easy. The other uses the figures I have already made but takes them off of the board and puts them on a "stage."

One of the easiest to make are what I think of as storytelling cards. Basically I paste clip art or a figure I have drawn to card stock. I simply hold up the appropriate images as I am telling the story. If you need to, you can put information on the back of the cards. I often do this when I use a rhyme or poem in storytime. (For an example see my "Shell Silverstein's 'Snowball' post. This is also a great way to take a story "on the road" without having to bring a felt board. The story that goes with these props can be found in "The Fisherman and His Wife - Board Story" post.

I also like using stand-up figures. It's fun to move them around on a "stage." I usually use a table if the the figures are large or an upturned box if the figures are small. (For an example of larger figures see my post "Aliens at Bedtime"). It is not necessary to make the buildings. The figures and story from my "The Fisherman and His Wife - Stick Puppets" post does not require buildings. I used Velcro to hold the crowns on the fisherman's wife. I colored over the Velcro with marker so it will be less noticeable. I taped rolls of paper to the back of each figure for a stand.

The photo above shows all the figures on a table. For storytelling I would use a large box turned upside down as a "stage." I actually have a box large enough for the palace figure. I use it to store my storytelling props. The box in the photos below is another one I use as a "stage." It stores my craft samples.

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is hosted by Andrea of the RovingFiddlehead Kidlit blog.

The Fisherman and His Wife - Stick Puppets

This post is part of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways." It is also my Flannel Friday contribution for this week.

The second way to tell this story is to use stick puppets. Stick puppets bring the figures off the flannel/magnet board and enable the storyteller to add some action. For example, when the fisherman is in his boat, you can move him up and down to show the motion of the waves. Since I tell rather than read most of the stories in my family story time, using stick puppets for a story adds variety to the program. Since they are so light and take up little space, stick puppets are also easy to bring along for school visits. Other example of using stick puppets can be found on the "Puppet Stories" page.

Stick puppets are quick and easy to make. In this case I am using the same figures I used for the board story. I colored them and glued them to heavier paper. I use card stock or construction paper. I usually leave a border when I cut them out but in this case I did not because I want to be able to put the crowns on the fisherman's wife. I taped a craft stick on the back of each figure. Instead of using glitter glue as I did for the board figures, I used metallic paper and sequins to add some "sparkle" to the fish and crowns. If desired you could make a fishing rod and a boat as well as add waves under the fish.

The Fisherman and His Wife

Linda Meuse

Notes from the Story Room

Note: This is the same story as the one for the flannel/magnet board with some minor changes. Since I won't be using the buildings in this version of the story, I have added Velcro to the fisherman's wife so she can hold the flowers which will represent the nice house and the plate of food which will represent the mansion. The crowns will represent the castle and palace. I have changed the story slightly to reflect this.

Long ago there was a poor fisherman who lived with his wife in a tiny little shack by the sea. Even though he went fishing every day, the fisherman never caught many fish. Sometimes he caught one or two and sometimes none at all.

One day the fisherman went down to the sea to fish as usual. The waves were high as he went out in his little boat. The fisherman feared he would catch nothing that day but much to his surprise there was a tug on his line as soon as he put it in the water. The fisherman pulled up a huge fish. It was like none he had ever seen before. Just as the fisherman was about to pull it into his boat, the fish spoke. "Please spare my life!" said the fish. "I will grant you a wish if you do." The surprised fisherman let the fish go. "I could not harm a fish that can talk," he said as he watched the fish swim away.

The fisherman returned home and told his wife about his strange experience. "What did you wish for?" she immediately asked. "I forgot all about the wish because I was so surprised," he replied. "Go back right now and ask for a nice house. I'm tired of living is this run-down shack. I want to live in a nice house with a garden full of flowers. You spared his life so he has to do what you ask." Reluctantly the fisherman went to the edge of the sea and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." The fish quickly appeared. "What does she want?" asked the fish. "She wants to live in a nice house with a flower garden," answered the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it disappeared back into the sea. When the fisherman returned home there was a lovely house where the shack had been. His wife was standing in front of it holding a bouquet of flowers from a beautiful garden.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife said to the fisherman, "This house is not big enough. Go back to the fish and ask for a fine mansion with servants. I want to have fine parties and serve lavish dinners to my guests." The fisherman went back to the edge of the sea and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want?" asked the fish popping up above the waves. "She wants a bigger house. She wants a mansion with servants," answered the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it went back into the sea. When the fisherman returned home he found a fine mansion where the house had been. His wife was standing in front of it holding a plate piled high with food.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife decided that the mansion was not enough. She said, "We should be living in a castle and I should be Queen and you the King." "I don't want to be King!" replied the fisherman. "Fine," said the wife, "I will be King instead." She made the fisherman go back to the edge of the sea to call the fish. "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," called the fisherman. "What does she want now?" asked the fish coming up from the water. The fisherman answered, "She wants to live in a castle and be King of this land." "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it dove back into the sea. When fisherman returned home he found a castle where the mansion had been. Inside his wife sat on a throne wearing a crown.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife decided that being King of the land was not enough. She wanted to be Emperor of the world and live in a huge palace. Again she made her poor husband go back to the edge of the sea to call the fish. "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," called the fisherman. Again the fish rose out of the sea. "What does she want?" asked the fish. "She wants to be Emperor of the world and live in a huge palace," said the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish. The fisherman returned home to find a huge palace where the castle had been. It took him an entire day to find his wife in the huge palace. She was sitting on an even bigger throne wearing an even bigger crown than before.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the fisherman found his wife staring up at the sky. She turned to him and said, "Go back to the fish and tell him that I want to be Ruler of the entire universe and have an even bigger palace up on the moon." Sadly the fisherman went to the edge of the sea calling, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want this time?" asked the fish coming up out of the sea. "She wants to be Ruler of the universe and have an even bigger palace on the moon," replied the fisherman. "I cannot grant that wish. No one can rule the stars and the moon. She must return to the home that she deserves," said the fish as it dove into the sea. The fisherman returned home to find that the huge palace was gone and their miserable shack was back. There the fisherman and his wife lived for the rest of their lives. The wondrous fish was never seen again.

Is that the end of the story? Yes!

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is hosted by Kendra of Read Sing Play.

The Fisherman and His Wife - Board Story

This post is part of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways." It is also my Flannel Friday contribution for this week.

Many children's librarians use the flannel/magnet board with only very young children to display figures for counting rhymes and other similiar early literacy activities. Flannel/magnet boards are also great for storytelling. The figures on the board provide visual clues to help young listeners focus on the story but still allows them to imagine the action.

A simplified version of "The Fisherman and His Wife" can be found in Stories That Stick: Quick and Easy Storyboard Tales by Valerie Marsh (Upstart, 2001). It is called "Magic Fish" and patterns for the figures are in the book. Since the patterns are used for other stories in the book as well, they do not quite work with this storytelling project so I have created my own story and patterns.

The Fisherman and His Wife

Linda Meuse

Notes from the Story Room

Long ago there was a poor fisherman who lived with his wife in a tiny little shack by the sea. Even though he went fishing every day, the fisherman never caught many fish. Sometimes he caught one or two and sometimes none at all.

One day the fisherman went down to the sea to fish as usual. The waves were high as he went out in his little boat. The fisherman feared he would catch nothing that day but much to his surprise there was a tug on his line as soon as he put it in the water. The fisherman pulled up a huge fish. It was like none he had ever seen before. Just as the fisherman was about to pull it into his boat, the fish spoke. "Please spare my life!" said the fish. "I will grant you a wish if you do." The surprised fisherman let the fish go. "I could not harm a fish that can talk," he said as he watched the fish swim away.

The fisherman returned home and told his wife about his strange experience. "What did you wish for?" she immediately asked. "I forgot all about the wish because I was so surprised," he replied. "Go back right now and ask for a nice house. I'm tired of living is this run-down shack. You spared his life so he has to do what you ask." Reluctantly the fisherman went to the edge of the sea and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." The fish quickly appeared. "What does she want?" asked the fish. "She wants to live in a nice house," answered the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it disappeared back into the sea. When the fisherman returned home there was a lovely house where the shack had been.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife said to the fisherman, "This house is not big enough. Go back to the fish and ask for a fine mansion with servants." The fisherman went back to the edge of the sea and called, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want?" asked the fish popping up above the waves. "She wants a bigger house. She wants a mansion with servants," answered the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it went back into the sea. When the fisherman returned home he found a fine mansion where the house had been.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife decided that the mansion was not enough. She said, "We should be living in a castle and I should be Queen and you the King." "I don't want to be King!" replied the fisherman. "Fine," said the wife, "I will be King instead." She made the fisherman go back to the edge of the sea to call the fish. "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," called the fisherman. "What does she want now?" asked the fish coming up from the water. The fisherman answered, "She wants to live in a castle and be King of this land." "Her wish is granted," said the fish as it dove back into the sea. When fisherman returned home he found a castle where the mansion had been. Inside his wife sat on a throne wearing a crown.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the wife decided that being King of the land was not enough. She wanted to be Emperor of the world and live in a huge palace. Again she made her poor husband go back to the edge of the sea to call the fish. "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish," called the fisherman. Again the fish rose out of the sea. "What does she want?" asked the fish. "She wants to be Emperor of the world and live in a huge palace," said the fisherman. "Her wish is granted," said the fish. The fisherman returned home to find a huge palace where the castle had been. It took him an entire day to find his wife in the huge palace. She was sitting on an even bigger throne wearing an even bigger crown than before.

Is that the end of the story? No. A week later the fisherman found his wife staring up at the sky. She turned to him and said, "Go back to the fish and tell him that I want to be Ruler of the entire universe and have an even bigger palace up on the moon." Sadly the fisherman went to the edge of the sea calling, "Oh wondrous fish, my wife has a wish." "What does she want this time?" asked the fish coming up out of the sea. "She wants to be Ruler of the universe and have an even bigger palace on the moon," replied the fisherman. "I cannot grant that wish. No one can rule the stars and the moon. She must return to the home that she deserves," said the fish as it dove into the sea. The fisherman returned home to find that the huge palace was gone and their miserable shack was back. There the fisherman and his wife lived for the rest of their lives. The wondrous fish was never seen again.

Is that the end of the story? Yes!

Notes: It is fairly easy to find clip art to use for this story. I found similar pieces for a similar story, "The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle," using clip art from Microsoft Publisher. You can tell the story without using the buildings. I would recommend making the crowns to put on the fisherman's wife. Keep the wife at the top of the board and bring the fisherman to the bottom of the board when he goes to see the fish. Be sure to make the fish look unusual and magical (I added some glitter glue).

This week's Flannel Friday is hosted by Lucy of In the Children's Room.

Selecting the Story

This one of a series of posts about "Telling One Story Five Ways."

Folktales are a staple of my storytime programs. They appeal to all ages and have themes that are common across cultures. Many are downright silly, humorous, or about animals - all storytime favorites.

For this storytelling project I have chosen "The Fisherman and His Wife" from Household Tales, collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is a well-known but not overly familiar story. It has the element of repetition which will appeal to younger children. This makes it a good choice for family storytime. It would also be suitable for preschool storytime and class visits.

There are several versions of "The Fisherman and His Wife" in my library's 398.2 section. It's fun to compare them to an original version such as the one found here (though even the translations from the German vary). Most picture book versions of folktales are too long for storytime which is why I write my own. For this project I am writing my own version and using my own artwork (primarily to avoid copyright issues).

Two versions that I found interesting are pictured below:

The Fisherman and His Wife by Rosemary Wells. (Dial, 1998) It is not illustrated by Wells which surprised me. The story is set in Norway and all the characters are cats. The illustrator, Eleanor Hubbard, studied art in Norway and shows all the characters in traditional dress. The ending is quite different from the original tale.

The Fisherman and the Turtle by Eric Kimmel. (Marshall Cavendish Children, 2008) Not only did Kimmel change the fish to a turtle but set the story in the land of the Aztecs. This works surprisingly well particularly the ending.

Telling One Story Five Ways

Over the years I have learned different ways of presenting a story. In addition to flannel or magnet board stories, I do draw and tell stories and paper cutting stories and I use stick puppets and props to tell stories. I have also ventured into storytelling using paper folding and tangrams though I have found that I am not very good at using those formats.

Why do I use so many different storytelling formats? The main reason is to engage my audience. I primarily do a family storytime for all ages and it helps to keep their attention when they don't know what will be coming next. I also want the adults who attend a storytime to enjoy it as well, whether they are parents, caregivers or teachers, for they are the ones who bring the children to the library. Another reason is simply that I have fun doing these different types of stories.

Very seldom do I tell a story exactly as written. Often there are elements that I don't like, or the story is too long or not long enough. I will change the story to suit my style of storytelling. Sometimes this happens without my realizing it. I once had a library school student who had to do a preschool storytime which was observed by her professor. I gave her the material covering the theme I was using for that week and told her to choose how she wanted to present it. One thing she did was one of my favorite flannel board stories. I had given her a copy of the original story but when she told it, it was not at all like the story I told. After the program, I looked at the original copy and it was exactly what she had told. It turns out that I had changed the story as I told it over the years! (I liked my version better.)

There are times when it has been difficult to find exactly what I want for a storytime program. This has been particularly true for my family storytime so I ended up writing my own stories. I usually adapt folktales though I have also written stories around a familiar concept such as "be careful what you wish for." I wish I had started doing this earlier because I found out that I quite enjoy doing this and I have even branched out and written some draw and tell stories and paper cutting stories. Again this has helped me plan my family storytimes. I try to limit the number of board stories I use to two or three at the most in each program. I then use other formats for the rest of the program. I usually do not use more than two books so the other types of stories are important.

It is really not that difficult to create different formats. I have written about this before in my post "From Felt to Prop."  To illustrate how it can be done, I will take one story and present it five different ways - as a board story, using stick puppets, using props, as a draw and tell story and as a paper cutting story. The story I have chosen is the folktale, "The Fisherman and His Wife." Each format will be a separate post. Below is a photo of several versions of the story that I found at the library where I work. Most are quite different not only from each other but also from the original story. I will be presenting my own versions with the various formats.

Changing and Extending Stories and Rhymes

Often I will change a story to make it more suitable to my storytelling style. I will do that with other storytime activities as well. Often I find a great idea but it doesn't quite fit in with what I want to do. In this case, I not only made some changes but extended the activity as well.

In this year's CSLP manual there is a guessing game called "I Wish I Were." It is a flannelboard rhyme for toddlers. Children have to guess an animal from the clues given in a simple rhyme. Animal motions are also given. There are only four verses. The first three describe a monkey, fish, and bird. The answer to the fourth is "Me!"

Since the theme for my storytime was "Dreams" I decided to change the rhyme to "I Dreamt I Was Someone." Since the storytime was for ages 4 to 7, I decided to extend the activity by adding more animals to guess. I did not use the last verse at all. I also did not use the animal movements for I wanted the children to focus on getting the clues from the words. The animals I added are cat, cow, spider, rabbit, snake, and elephant. I printed out the rhymes along with clip art of the animals using Microsoft Publisher. I then pasted them on construction paper and made "cards" out of them. I read the rhyme and then opened the card to show the animal when the children guessed. The children really enjoyed this activity.

Rhyme

Microsoft Clip Art Animal

Guessing Cards

When I find stories and rhymes that don't quite fit what I want to do, I look at them to see if they can be tweaked. Often I end up with something that I will be able to use over and over.

This week's Flannel Friday Roundup is hosted by Liz of Putting Smiles on Faces.

Family Story Time Just Got Easier

My preparation for Family Story Time is now much easier thanks to the Friends of the Hamilton Township Public Library. Our Friends of the Library works hard all year running book sales and other events to raise funds to benefit the library. Most of our summer reading events are funded by the Friends of the Library. They have also purchased items for the children's room. This summer the Friends purchased this:

Standard Royal Inspiration Station by Copernicus Educational Products

I hold my family story time program in a large meeting room downstairs. Our storytime room is much too small for this program. For years I have had to bring down an easel, a heavy whiteboard and a book truck full of storytelling materials, books and craft supplies. It was quite a balancing act. When the Friends of the Library requested that we give them a wish list, I was quick to add the above cart to it. I was thrilled to find out it was ordered and even more thrilled when it came in and was assembled in time for my first family story time of the summer.

I love this cart. There are so many places to put stuff - big stuff, little stuff, storytelling stuff, craft stuff - it all fits onto one cart that has a magnetic whiteboard in front. I selected this particular model because the whiteboard could be placed high enough that a large group could see.

When it was time for the program, I loaded it up with everything I needed for the program and there was room to spare. All I had to do was wheel it into the elevator and then into the meeting room. Not only was the process of setting up much easier, it went much quicker. Cleaning up was just as easy.

These carts come in various sizes and configurations to meet various needs. Purchasing one is definitely worth considering if you have programs in another part of the library. Our cart will also be used for other programs as well.

I am now a much more efficient (and happier) storyteller thanks to our Friends of the Library.

Tangrams Simplified

I really like tangram stories. Unfortunately, I am not very good at tangrams. Years ago I told "Why the Sun & the Moon Live in the Sky" from Valerie Marsh's Story Puzzles: Tales in the Tangram Tradition. I've been wanting to try another and finally decided to take the plunge. I am planning to tell "The Milky Way" from the same book at Family Story Time next week.  This time I decided to make it easier for myself.

Instead of making a single set of tangram figures, I counted how many times each piece is used in the story and made multiple pieces so each figure would have its own set of shapes. I took some scrap paper and made envelopes for the pieces by taping up the sides. There are 11 figures made in the story so I made 11 envelopes which I then numbered 1 to 11. I also photocopied the story and cut out each figure and pasted it to the corresponding envelope. I will take the pieces out of the envelopes when I set up for the program and make the figures on top of each envelope so they will be ready to be transferred to the magnet board. This will not work for a couple of the larger figures but I should be able to have most of the pieces together. As I take the figures off the board I will quickly put them in a box or bowl (I want to avoid having those pieces getting mixed up with the ones that haven't been used yet) and then add the new ones to the board.  This method may sound complicated but it eliminates the difficult part for me - quickly figuring out the correct placement of the shapes. (Quickly is the operative word here.) This will allow me to concentrate on telling the story without worrying about how to make the figures.

Tangram Shapes with "envelopes."

I made the pieces out of purple card stock. Black is traditional but I wanted color.

Because I enjoy telling stories in different ways, I'm always thinking of ways to do so. I hope the plan works next week because then I'll have another storytelling method to use.

This week's Flannel Friday Roundup is hosted by Mary of Miss Mary Liberry. Visit the Flannel Friday site for complete information.

The Night Walk

I am now gathering ideas for my summer family story time programs.  I plan to have programs that will fit in with the "Dream Big - Read!" theme.  One program will be a pajama story time, one will be about the moon and stars, and one will be about night animals and stories of the night.

One of the types of stories I like to tell are draw and tell stories.  I wanted a story that took place at night and ended up being an owl on a branch so I wrote "The Night Walk."  It is not difficult to guess what the storyteller is drawing so it should appeal to both older and younger children. 

The story is about a brother and sister who go for a walk in the woods at night with their father.  As the story is told the owl on a tree branch is drawn:

The picture is fairly simple to draw.  It is important to remember that the goal is just to create a recognizable owl not a work of art. There are 14 steps to create the drawing.

I practice several times on small pieces of paper until I am comfortable with the story and familiar with the drawing sequence.  (Even though I wrote the story, I still found myself wanting to draw the branch before the moon.)  Below is a photo of some of those practice papers.  The owl looks different in each drawing but it still looks like an owl.

 
I enjoyed writing this draw-and-tell story because I started with the drawing and then came up with the story to go with it.  The only things I added to the original drawing were the leaf and the moon.  It was fun to work backward and make up the story to create the picture.

The story along with the drawing sequence and a photo of the numbered drawing is available as a Google document here.

Draw-and-tell stories are not as hard as they look.  It just takes a little practice to get comfortable with what you are doing.  Just remember the drawing sequence and tell the story in your own words.  Your audience will be most impressed when you draw them a story so don't be afraid to give it a try.

This week's Flannel Friday Round-Up is hosted by Sharon of Rain Makes Applesause.  Be sure to visit the new Flannel Friday blog for complete information about everything Flannel Friday.

In Springtime

I have no idea what I am doing for my April Family Story Time so I figured I'd better start coming up with ideas. (Actually I'm not completely sure what I'm doing for March either.)  I'll probably do a general "Spring" program in April.  I wrote the following rhyme to use with stick puppets but it would also work with flannel/magnet board figures.  Move the pieces to follow the rhyme. 

Since in springtime little ones are often quite wiggly, another option is to make this an action rhyme.  Have the children stand reasonably far apart (we need room for the rainbows).  Have them make a circle over their heads with their arms for the sun.  Have them hold their arms up in front of them and then have them wiggle their fingers while bringing them down to make the rain.  For the rainbow, have them start with their arms together over their heads and then bring them down to their sides. (My directions are probably as clear as mud but I'm confident you'll figure something out.)

In Springtime

In Springtime both Rain and Sun like to play.
One or the other comes every day.

Sun like to warm growing things
With the gentle rays that sunshine brings.

Rain sends raindrops down to the ground
To tickle the flowers and dance around.

Sun and Rain rarely see each other
So something special happens when they come together.

For that’s when a rainbow can be found
Reaching across the sky and down to the ground.

Sun, Rain, & Rainbow Stick Puppets

Clip Art Sources:  The sun is from Microsoft Publisher.  The rain and rainbow are from Open Clip Art Library.  I drew a face on the rain to go with the one on the sun.

Notes:  On Writing (& Drawing) One's Own Storytime Material

I don't worry about writing a piece of literature. I'm perfectly aware that my rhymes are doggerel but they serve a purpose. Having this attitude has freed me to write my own stories and rhymes. If I need something to go with my "theme," I am no longer restricted to what is available. I'm also able to use different storytelling formats in a program. My themes can be very general or very specific depending on what strikes my fancy as I am planning a program. For years I have changed around stories and rhymes to suit my needs. It's just been in the past two years that I have been writing my own rhymes and stories and adapting folktales for programs on a regular basis. I wish I had started earlier. Seeing what others have created through Flannel Friday has also encouraged me. Now if I want to add a certain type of story to a program, such as a paper cutting or board story, and I can't find one that I like, I seriously consider making one of my own and often I do. Also, if I need "art" to go with a story and I can't find suitable clip art, I now draw my own.  Children are interested in the story, not how perfectly it's presented.  After all, we're not going for a Newbery or Caldecott here, just storytelling fun.

This week's Flannel Friday Roundup is hosted by Meghan on her Busy Crafting Mommy blog.

Visual Storytelling

Over the years my storytelling style has evolved.  I still use most of the same elements as I did twenty years ago but now these elements are no longer "filler" between picture book readings but have become an essential part of the storytime.  One reason is that I am more confident telling a story than I was when I first started as a children's librarian and the other reason is that I really enjoy the various forms of storytelling that I use - draw and tell stories, board stories, paper cutting stories, and stories using props and stick puppets.  They all have visual elements for the listener to look at while I tell the story.  I am reluctant to move into straight storytelling because I enjoy using these elements when I tell stories.  I guess it is part of my storytelling style.

I am preparing for a class visit next week.  All of the children are deaf and some have other disabilities as well.  The group had stopped by our library during a field trip last year when one of their destinations canceled on them.  They had called ahead and I was available to do a storytime for them.  It turned out that my "visual" style of storytelling worked well for the children and they called this year asking to come back just for a storytime.  I was surprised and happy to find out that my visual style was a good format for this group.  I had been concerned that it would have been too distracting since the children had to watch the interpreter as well.  I will be using many of the new stories that I had worked on over the summer and used for my family storytimes.  I am going to have to try to slow myself down a bit though, so I don't make it too difficult for the ASL interpreters.  It's great feeling to know that this group wanted to come back to hear more stories and I'm looking forward to their visit.

This has been a busy week (particularly at home) so I don't have anything new for this week's Flannel Friday.  I'm currently selecting stories for my next family storytime so I will have something new next week.  You can find this week's Flannel Friday Round-up on Sharon's blog, Rain Makes Applesauce.

My Way to Your Way

I received a comment asking if I told my board stories from memory, note cards or some other way.  Rather than a quick comment I thought I would write about telling longer tales using the flannel board because that is how I learned to tell stories.  Also, telling stories with the flannel board gave me the confidence to try other storytelling formats.

When I first started as a Children's Librarian, I knew that there would not be much singing in my storytimes since I can't carry a tune.  I also didn't want to just sit and read books so I looked for other ways to tell stories.  I found that paper cutting, draw and tell and board stories were perfect for me and I've been using them ever since.  For years I was the only Youth Services Librarian so I learned to make things as simple as possible.  Memorization went out the window pretty quickly.

One of the first sources for flannel board stories that I used was Teeny Tiny Folktales by Jean Warren.  The stories were short and did not require many figures to manipulate on the flannel board.  As I became more confident, I moved to other stories.  I also ended up making the simple stories not so simple over the years (see my post for 8/22/11).  I just recently started adapting stories myself.  I also started using other props to tell stories because I wanted to give my programs some variety.

It's important for me to pick a story that I really like.  If I enjoy telling the story, that will come across to the audience.  I tend to pick humorous or silly stories.  I also enjoy stories about animals.  I am not above changing or leaving out elements that I don't care for in a story.  I want to be completely comfortable with the story I tell.

I never memorize a story.  I read it over several times to get the general plot.  I may memorize a key phrase if it is important or repeated often.  I use each figure as a cue as to what comes next in the story.  I simply place them in the order they come in the story with the first figure on top and the last on the bottom.  Each figure then reminds me of the next part of the story as I place it on the board.  I tell the story in my own words.  Sometimes I leave things out and in most cases it doesn't matter or I am able to backtrack.  I do always keep a copy of the story nearby in case I need to refer to it.  (I always do this with rhymes so I get the rhyming words in the correct order.)  Telling the story in my own words takes the pressure off for getting it just right.  It also lets me change things if I want to.  I may tell a more elaborate version to an older audience or keep it short for a younger one. 

If you haven't told folktales using the flannel board before, start with a familiar tale such as "The Three Little Pigs."  This story allows you to "ham" it up as the wolf.  (I go all out trying to blow the brick house down.)  The story also naturally lends itself to audience participation. 

So, if you have only used the flannel board for rhymes, do give storytelling with it a try.  It takes me longer  to memorize a five line rhyme than it does to learn a five paragraph story.  The rhyme won't work if you don't get the words right.  The story can be told your way.

As to the second question about being videoed - I'm wary about doing a video of a story because of copyright issues, though now that I am doing more original material, it's something to consider. 

Family Storytelling Fun

Posted on Craftzine:

http://madebyjoel.com/2011/09/introducing-the-dressy-cats.html

The Clever One

The Clever One" adapted from "The Girl Who Used Her Wits" in Handmade Tales: Stories to Make and Take by Diane de Las Casa and "The Clever Daughter-in-Law" in Celebrate the World: Twenty Tellable Folktales for Multicultural Festivals by Margaret Read MacDonald

Again, I combined elements from two different versions of a story into my "personal" version which can be found as a Google document here.  There is a variation that can be found in Joining In: an Anthology of Participation Stories & How to Tell Them compiled by Teresa Miller (1988) by Fran Stallings called "Paper Flowers."  I believe the main character in that version is a servant who gains her independence (it's been quite some time since I read this one).  I've always wanted to tell this story every since I saw it done over 20 years ago.  Diane de Las Casa's version is easier to tell.  In fact I added an element from McDonald's version to fill it out a bit more.  I did not attempt to actually make the props while telling the story though it can be done fairly easily.  I had a large group of varying ages so I did not want to interrupt the flow of the story.  I did ask the children to guess what was made from paper to carry wind, fire and water.  These items can also be made part of a follow-up craft though I used something different (see my post for 7/27/11).  My props were made from different colors of copy paper though I would have used brightly colored origami paper if I had some.

Patterns for the props can be found online or in origami books.  This one has the right size square to cut out to make the cup.

Own It

I find myself changing stories often.  Sometimes elements of a story seems silly to me or sometimes I look at a story and know that I would not be comfortable telling the story as written. 

I have even changed a story without realizing it.  Years ago I worked with a student getting her school media specialist degree.  She had to do a storytime and be observed by her professor.  She did a Saturday storytime program and I gave her all the material I had used for the weekday program including a copy of a flannel board story I had been telling for years.  She chose what she wanted to do.  She did include the flannel board story.  When she told the story at the program I was puzzled.  It didn't sound anything like the story I told.  After the program I read the original story that I had given her and realized that over the years I had changed the story tremendously and had made it my own.  (I liked my version better than the original.)

This experience brought home to me the concept that the oral tradition is a constantly changing one even with a simple flannel board story.  There are as many stories as there are storytellers.  From then on I have made stories my own by telling them the way I want to tell them.  I particularly like using the flannel board because the pieces provide the visual clues to help me tell the story but do not limit me in the way I tell it.  Some stories I never tell the same way twice.  (This is particularly true when I do my fractured version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."  I mostly wing it with this story.)  Props also provide visual clues for storytelling. 

I actually did tell a story without any props and it went over quite well and with practice I could probably turn into a traditional storyteller but I'm a visual person and I enjoy looking at interesting pictures and objects so I want them to be part of my storytelling.  I consider myself a children's librarian first and then a storyteller.  I still feel that a great picture book is an essential part of a storytime program.   However, as fewer children are exposed to live storytelling, that aspect is also becoming a more important part of a storytime program.  So I am always looking for different ways to tell stories and different stories to tell.  In order to engage children not only do I have to be comfortable with my material but I have to enjoy telling the stories. 

Lately I have been going through folktale and storytelling compilations to find new material.  I will probably end up changing some to make them my own but then I will have some new favorite stories to tell.

It Works!

I'm preparing for my summer family story time programs.  In keeping with this summer's theme, "One World, Many Stories," I will be telling and reading folk tales from around the world (which is what is usually do for family story time anyway).  Since the program is held in the meeting room which is a rather large space I like to use visual props to tell stories (the props also help to hold the attention of the younger listeners).  I've been wanting to tell the "Bremen Town Musicians" without using a board for the figures because I like to vary how I tell the stories.  The easiest format to make is stick puppets - find clip art, color it, glue it on construction paper and tape a craft stick on.  If I have time I will put construction paper on the back as well to "finish" the puppet.  But for this story I have to stack the stick puppets on top of each other.  I was thinking of adding "holders" of some sort to the back of the puppets but as I was adding the back pieces to the puppets I decided to leave the bottom part open and try fitting the puppets on top of each other.  It worked.  The puppets do get a bit floppy when it is humid but it is easy to support all four puppets with two hands. 

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