Noodlehead Stories

by Martha Hamilton Beauty & the Beast, Mitch Weiss

World tales kids can read and tell. Call it what you stories of the fool have been around as long as people have been telling stories. Everyone has a noodlehead day, when the brain takes a leave of absence. As the stories in this collection show, knuckleheads come in all forms and shapes. These stories bring to mind the wise words of the French humorist Francois "If you wish to avoid seeing a fool, you must first break your mirror." Following each story are tips for telling―especially written for children, but suitable for any age―that include suggestions for timing, intonation, gestures, and body language. There is also a map showing in what area of the world each story originated. Designed for use in primary and middle grades, this book is perfect for children to read on their own as well as those who want to learn to tell stories. It's also a wonderful resource for adults who tell stories to children, and for teachers to use in conjunction with language arts or social studies curricula. These foolish tales are hilarious and relatable. Furthermore, this collection teaches readers the importance of caring, citizenship and fairness.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[J New · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love using and reading this book and just realized I met the author today at ALA! Inspiration for the Noodleheads books, and great classic story motifs for storytelling!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading it and reading out loud to my pupils.

[Cherie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of stories for kids who want to tell stories: they are short and silly and get the kids laughing.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is great. I suggest that people who like to read aloud to people read this book because it has a "Tips for telling" section at the end of each story.It is about 80 pages and only took me two days to read.
All the stories made me giggle at least a little bit. There are not really a summary to give you, but I can tell you that there are about ten or fifteen stories in here. Just like two page ones.
I give this book a five star as my first storybook of the school year because of it's impressive words and everything else.

[Becky S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it was funny.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great "how-to" book for storytelling. Not only are the stories fun for kids to hear/read... the book gives hints on how to "learn" a story and how to make them interesting when you tell them yourself. Anyone that works with children could benefit from reading this book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of folktales from around the world, all featuring the character of the fool, with tips for telling the stories aloud, related activities, and source notes.
This would be something you would have to learn by hart and then perform during story time. It could be used for school visits.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are lots of fun "Noodlehead" stories in this book and also great ideas for what to do while telling them. This can be an awesome resource for kids looking to tell their own stories, a storytelling club, or just if you're trying to find stories with origins from all around the world.

[Kesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous resource for a traditional literature unit that students love to read and be read to from.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My eight year old son, especially, thought this book was hilarious. Its a collection of goofy stories from all over the world. They're simple and easy to read; my son enjoyed retelling them to me.

[foo4luv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great starter for kids -- or even adults -- who want to learn to tell simple, fun stories.