From School Library Journal
Both new and veteran storytellers will appreciate this book. Sixteen chapters are arranged by themes such as "All About Me," "Animals," and "Holidays." Whenever a flannelboard idea is listed, a thumbnail pen-and-ink sketch of the necessary pieces is included next to a Web icon. Readers can then proceed to an ALA Web page to view the actual-sized pattern. An appendix gives further instruction on how to use other props or costumes along with a story. Unfortunately, the index of titles and first lines uses the articles "A," "An," and "The" in the alphabetical sort. The authors provide helpful group-management advice for all age ranges, as well as for incorporating American Sign Language into stories. This book is similar in scope to Elizabeth Low's
Big Book of Animals Rhymes, Fingerplays, and Songs (Libraries Unlimited, 2009). However, Low includes some Spanish rhymes and musical notation for 94 songs.
Storytime Magic is equally fine for professional collections.—
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Kathy MacMillan is a freelance writer, American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and storyteller. She has contributed articles to Public Libraries, American Libraries, and many other professional journals and is the author of Try Your Hand at This (Scarecrow Press, 2006) and A Box Full of Tales (American Library Association, 2008). She was the library/media specialist at the Maryland School for the Deaf from 2001 to 2005 and prior to that was a children s librarian at Carroll County Public Library and Howard County Library. Kathy holds a Master of Library Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and through Stories by Hand presents storytelling programs that introduce sign language to thousands of children and families each year.
Christine Kirker has been a children's library associate with the Carroll County Public Library in Maryland since 2005. She has developed and presented many programs for children of all ages and offered many educational outreach programs. She also launched a monthly Art Explorers program at the library where children discuss the lives of featured artists and explore their techniques. In Christine s latest project, Uniquely Hand Made, young people design and decorate clay hands to represent their own unique spirit. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Christine spent ten years as a research analyst for the university s Office of Institutional Research.
