Bringing the Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents [Paperback]

Lisa Lipkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

Bring the magic of storytelling into your child's life using the everyday world around you.

Lavishly endowed with over 100 original, hands-on activities for children aged three to ten, this book teaches parents to incorporate storytelling into household activities and to address real-life situations. In addition to folklore from our own and other cultures, it features a rich sampling of tales actually invented by children and their parents—stories that will inspire readers to invent their own. "[I]t's refreshing to see how a parent can kindle a child's imagination through the magic of the oral tradition."—Stage Directions "After reading this unpretentious, delightful romp of a book, no parent will be able to walk into a room and not imagine potential stories in every corner."—Steve Zeitlin, Director, City Lore

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The oral tradition is an endangered one. Given the distractions of television, computers, and computer games, children are especially prone to self-containment. Offering over 100 activities, New York City-based storyteller Lipkin teaches parents how to incorporate stories into their three- to ten-year-olds' lives, thereby teaching family history, moral lessons, and a heightened sense of identity and belonging. Each of the eight chapters includes examples of stories and methods parents can use. Lipkin shows how to integrate storytelling into everyday activities, share family history, read a story, and create a story. Readers are also instructed in taking the scare out of ghost stories, retelling Bible stories, and recounting stories about childhood issues (e.g., a new sibling, fear of the dark) and those that reinforce positive behavior. This work's easy-to-do activities will lead parents to find yarns in ordinary events and spur their children's imaginations. Recommended for public libraries.DKay Brodie, Chesapeake Coll., Wye Mills, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

[I]t's refreshing to see how a parent can kindle a child's imagination through the magic of the oral tradition. -- Stage Directions

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393322602
• ISBN-13: 978-0393322606
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have, September 6, 2000

By 

holly (NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bringing the Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents (Hardcover)

I bought this book while on vacation with my three young children. In the moments of tiredness or boredom, when my children usually start to fight with each other, I quickly tried some of the simple activities described in the book. To my amazement, the children loved every minute of it, turning what would have been exasperating times for all of us, into wonderful, giggle filled vacation memories. I needed no crayons, no gagdets, no batteries. We had blue sky, each other and our imaginations.

This book is a wonderfully entertaining read, with exquisite excerpts from many sources, and tons of ideas on how to uncover our inner creativity through the age old craft of storytelling.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars makes storytelling easy and meaningful, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bringing the Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents (Hardcover)

This book is an easy, entertaining read and a reminder of the profound importance of family members TALKING to each other. Storytelling, and storymaking, allow kids and parents to express real feelings to one another and grapple with difficult issues all while PLAYING a game! In addition, she gives you lots of stories and story starters; this was lots of fun to read.

I'm not a parent but I do work with kids. I'm pretty sure that if you try this book, you'll like it. I've already purchased two copies for friends of mine with children!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative fun for the whole family, September 27, 2000

By 

Beth Powanda (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bringing the Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents (Hardcover)

I am a personal friend of the author Lisa Lipkin is not only a great story teller, she haswritten a wonderful book that shows us how we too can learn to spin a great yarn, and more importantly, why we should. Storytelling for Lisa is a mission to bring families closer together and at the same time fuel their creative imaginations. Now, whenever my children ask me to tell them a story I use some of Lisa's fun and easy suggestions to help them make up their own. For instance, when we are sitting around the dinner table I ask them to pretend they are a fork and ask them what it is like to be a fork. They love it. It really gets them thinking or as Lisa would say, "strenghthens their imaginative muscle".

In addition, Bringing the Story Home is chock-full of anecdotal information, references from other sources as well as stories from her personal experiences performing in workshops across the country. I highly recommend this book to parents who want to strengthen their familial bond and inspire their children's creativity.