Howard_Samantha_Reading Reflection (Blog #1)

For me, storytelling in terms of the library or school setting always meant an adult reading aloud a book to children. Sometimes that adult was very engaging and had different voices for characters or even an occasional prop, but it was never a production. After reading the first few chapters in Storytelling: art and technique by Ellin Greene and Janice Del Negro, I was reminded that storytelling got its start through the oral tradition of passing down stories. These original storytelling experiences did not involve printed books with pictures, but instead verbally beautifully crafted plots and settings.

Furthermore, the article “Why Storytelling Matters” by Denise E. Agosto reminds every person who tells stories to children that the experience is just as important as the literature itself. She writes, “Critical thinking is closely tied to cognitive engagement: both involve deep thinking about story content and meaning” which occurs when a listener is actively engaged in the storytelling experience. A child who is fully participating and paying attention to a story is taking in more than just the words, he or she is learning about reading fluency, diction, emotional expression, and so much more. Agosto goes on to say, “Live storytelling can bring joy to children and encourage them to view libraries and literacy in a positive light, helping to advance the core mission of libraries” (2016, p.24).  This statement is an accurate reflection on the importance of storytelling in all libraries as a way to get children involved in reading and find a love for it that they might not have had through traditional book reading.

Chapter 4 of Storytelling: art and technique by Ellin Greene and Janice Del Negro details the selection process for what piece of literature would make for a good storytelling experience. The authors describe how some storytellers will turn to literary fairy tales and explain that “the modern fairy tale does not invariably end happily; often it leaves one thoughtful and sad” (2012, p.66). While the typical fairytale is great for younger audiences, the literary fairy tale is great for older youth who can handle a more sensitive ending and stronger content. These types of fairytales are my personal favorite because of the reactions I get from children when I read them. Students are often shocked and excited when they first hear a literary fairy tale because it almost feels taboo for them to listen to a more ‘adult’ feeling story.

As a classroom teacher, I admit that my version of storytelling for a literary fairy tale still involved me reading aloud the story from a printed version. While I do well at reading fluently, expressing different characters voices and emotions, and keeping good pacing, it is still a form of reading aloud in my mind and not a true story telling experience.  In Lyn Lining’s article “Telling Traditional Tales: Some Thoughts and Experiences,” she reflects on the fact that the same fairy tale books get checked out repeatedly and new ones often don’t. She explains that one reason might be that “the stories were intended for oral transmission, and many written versions are mere outlines which need fleshing out with details and dramatic interpretation” (2002, p. 13). This explanation is a clear example of how storytelling is essential to a child’s experience with the story and how simply reading the text themselves does not generate the same engagement.

When I first read Linning’s thoughts in the quote above, I had a lightbulb moment about why some classic children’s fairytales, fables, folktales, etc. are checked out repeatedly and it is because that is what parents already know and understand. The classic stories, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, are ones that parents have had read to them and therefore they can then confidently read them to their children. These reading experiences are often accompanied by parents making up different voices for the characters, different sound effects, and often different variations to the words on the pages. The parents have turned the simple read aloud bedtime book into a full story time experience!

While I personally enjoy a good picture book and read them nightly to my own two children, one of my favorite genres from our reading log this week is fables. I believe this is because I have been a classroom teacher for quite a while and enjoy teaching children how to pull the theme or moral out of a story. Fables were created with the intention of teaching a lesson and often do so very blatantly, which makes them easy to comprehend. Similarly, almost all fables involve animals of some sort which makes children naturally more interested in hearing the story and seeing any accompanying illustrations.

When I think about storytelling using fables, my first thoughts are that they do not require a physical text to be successful. Most fables are so well known and ingrained in our upbringings, that they can be recited from memory – think the Tortoise and the Hare! If a person does not need a physical text, or even cue cards, to remember the story then they will naturally be more engaged themselves and devote their energy into making it a fun experience through voices and props. With all the animals in fables, it would be a fun opportunity to dress like the different creatures using easy headbands and masks!

Overall, storytelling is an art form in and of itself that requires time, energy, and passion to be successful. I feel that every librarian, public or academic, should find the type of storytelling that makes them come alive so that they can convey that love for literature through their performance.

References:

Aesop’s Fable: The Tortoise and the Hare by Jim Weiss (from “Animal Tales”). (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved June 21, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isSG1skiMwY

‌Agosto. (2016). Why Storytelling Matters. Children & Libraries, 14(2), 21–.

Ellin Greene, & Janice Del Negro. (2010). Storytelling: art and technique. Libraries Unlimited.

Linning. (2002). Telling traditional tales: some thoughts and experiences. Orana, 38(3), 13–19.

Making Connections - The Power of Oral Storytelling | Trent Hohaia | TEDxUOA. (2017). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh_9H93MACA

‌

Week One Readings:

Genre	Title of Work	Author
Picture Book	Duck & Goose	Tad Hills
Picture Book	Giraffes Can’t Dance	Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Ress
Picture Book	Froggy Goes to Hawaii	Jonathan London
Picture Book	Yes & No	Elisha Cooper
Picture Book	If I built a School	Chris Van Dusen
Picture Book	Shawn Loves Sharks	Curtis Manley
Picture Book	What about Worms?	Ryan T. Higgins
Fable	The Knight and the Dragon	Tomie DePaola
Fable	The Lion and the Mouse	Jerry Pinkney
Fable	The Hare and the Tortoise	Aesop
Fable	The Ants and the Grasshopper	Aesop
Fable	Goldilocks and the Three Bears	Robert Southey
Fable	The Boy Who Cried Wolf	B.G. Hennessy
Fable	The Little Red Hen	Mary Mapes
Fairy Tale	The Stones of Five Colours and the Empress Jokwa	Yei Theodora Ozaki
Fairy Tale	Cinderella	Grimm Brothers
Fairy Tale	Peter and Wendy	James Matthew Barrie
Fairy Tale	Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland	Lewis Carroll
Fairy Tale	The Paper Bag Princess	Robert Munsch
Fairy Tale	The Little Mermaid	Hans Christian Anderson
Fairy Tale	Hansel and Gretel	Grimm Brothers

 

‌