How & Why Stories

by Martha Hamilton, Mitch Weiss

How did tigers get their stripes? Why is the sea salty? From Burma to Brazil, a collection of tales from around the globe highlights the answers to some of the most-asked questions and each tidbit of information includes a map and other short facts about each subject. Perfect for children to read alone or for adults to read to their youngsters. Color illustrations throughout.

Genres: Folklore

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss are a husband-and-wife team, also known as “Beauty and the Beast Storytellers,” who have traveled the world since 1980 sharing their passion for the art of storytelling. They have co-authored several books and recordings that have won numerous awards including Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (awarded by Bank Street College of Education), Parents’ Choice, National Parenting Publications Awards, and Storytelling World. Their Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom, used in the teaching of storytelling from elementary schools to college courses, won an Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award and was praised by award committee members as "an infectiously enthusiastic book on the methods and merits of teaching storytelling to children . . . imaginative, inspiring, easy to read, and tremendously engaging . . . a terrific book that will be a classic for years to come."

Mitch and Martha’s story collections include world tales that they have retold in a conversational manner so that children can easily understand and retell them. Parents and teachers will find a wealth of information on how to get children excited about reading, telling world tales, and making up their own stories at Mitch and Martha’s Web site: http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytell...

Reviews

[Kate Foran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of folk tales from all over the world was made to be read aloud and retold. Each story is about a page and a half in length and is followed by (1) some interesting facts about the origins of the tale or facts about the creature or natural phenomena the story describes, and (2) tips for how to read or retell the story dramatically.

The book has been a huge hit at home with my 6 year old--I highly recommend it to parents, but it's also a fantastic resource for teachers. The "read more" book suggestions that accompany many of the stories are fantastic, the bibliography is a treasure trove, and the storytelling tips helped even a seasoned read aloud "dramatist" make things more exciting. Also, every story is at a 3rd to 4th grade reading level, making it perfect for students to read and study as part of a folk tales unit.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read it for a class.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has world tales from all over for silly things like how the tiger got stripes and why there is thunder and lightning. I like that there is a world map in the front with the list of which tales from where. There are also some facts and tidbits after each story, as well as ideas for how to improve your telling of the stories. Great intro to world culture through stories...good for unit studies.

[Erin Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read too many other how and why stories, so I enjoyed this short-and-sweet collection of such stories from all over the world. I particularly liked that each story ended with tips for telling as well as a few scientific details about why and how the animal actually got its characteristic.

[Kidsbookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful anthology that our whole family has loved for years!

[Jolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for working with literacy.