Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Time: Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and Reader's Theater with Children in Grades PreK-6

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Anyone who has ever attended a daylong workshop by Judy Freeman knows that she has more creative energy than a class full of Kindergartners on Halloween morning. Judy puts that creative energy to use in her workshops by telling stories, singing songs, and leading reader's theater performances in which her audience participates. Now, even if you're not in a workshop, you can benefit from Judy's vast store house of IDEAS in this volume designed for the elementary school librarian and teachers (Yes! Teachers will love it too).

The book opens with a refresher course on storytelling (don't worry--if you haven't done it before, it serves as an introductory course too). Judy teaches a summer graduate class in storytelling at New York's Pratt Institute, so you are in able and experienced hands here (and throughout). With a look at folk and fairy tales (and a close examination of Cinderella) Judy inspires confidence in the reader to tell a story or two, and, better yet, to encourage your students to do the same.

The second section of the book is about songs and singing. If you know Judy, you know that she travels with her little guitar and sings at every workshop she does. You can too! She offers lyrics and chord notations for several songs, including a group favorite, George Washington Bridge, along with storyteller's notes to give you suggestions for how or when to use the song or which book might be the perfect accompaniment to the song.

The third section is a generous offering of stories you can learn quickly, including stories to draw and to fold as well as audience participation stories.

Because Judy is a librarian, every book that she publishes offers a compendium of titles and one of the gems of this book is the section entitled: "400+ Children's Books Every Storyteller Should Know." With brief annotations and a categorical reference, this bibliography will serve as a collection development tool as well as a source for stories to tell. An added resource is this same list of titles resorted in short bibliographic form by category of tale.

Finally, the fifth section of the book focuses on Reader's Theater (a passion of mine!). She examines types of stories that work well, gives hints on using creative drama with kids in the classroom or library, and even instructs you in how to write your own scripts. A list of books perfect for reader's theater adaptation, of course, is also included.

It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive book of literary performance of all types in the library and classroom! Add this one to your order today!

Judy has given storytellers and librarians another great resource in this book. Keep it handy for those moments when you can't think of what story you want to tell to the kids next. And this book is fantastic for those of us who help teach folk tales and the variations therof. Plus there are tips for readers' theater and a list of good books to dramatize or adapt for readers theater scripts. I could go on! Judy has done it again!

Judy Freeman's book is a wonderful resource for librarians, teachers, and parents. Judy's tips, ideas, suggestions, and book lists are a unique and practical way to introduce kids to stories and adults to storytelling. A must have book for every library and classroom.