Storytelling with Children

by Nancy Mellon, Thomas Moore (Foreword)

Telling stories awakens wonder and creates special occasions with children, whether it is bedtime, around the fire or on rainy days. Encouraging you to spin golden tales, Nancy Mellon shows how you can become a confident storyteller and enrich your family with the power of story.Children love family storytelling and parents can learn this practical, magical art. Here are methods, tips and resources to enable you

Create a listening spaceUse the day's events and rhythms to make storiesTransform old stories and make up new onesBring your personal and family stories to lifeLearn stories by heart using pictures, inner theatre, walk-about, singing the story and other methodsFind the tale you want from Nancy's rich story-cupboard."Let Nancy Mellon teach you to be a storyteller and a discoverer, for you and your children, of worlds that truly make a difference."

Thomas Moore, Foreword

"Nancy Mellon continues to be an inspiration for storytellers old and new. Her experience, advice and suggestions work wonders. They are potent seeds that give you the creative confidence to find your own style of storytelling."

Ashley Ramsden, Director of the School of Storytelling, Emerson College

"Sensitive suggestions, gentle advice and sage insights, this is a story cupboard to feed imagination and heart. From it parents will know that they are the storytellers to give their children present delight, a lifetime's inner nourishment, a family core of confident knowing."

David Campbell, Poet, Broadcaster and Scottish Storyteller

"No longer will children be dependent on television and movies for stories. They will hear them told in the shelter of their families as they always have through the millennia."

Joan Almon, Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America

"Here's a treasure trove for professionals and rank beginners - a book borne of years of hands-on experience with parents and children, written from the heart and stirring to the soul. Reading it, I feel the urge to pull my own two children close, to light a candle, to begin ... Nancy Mellon inspires us all to be storytellers."

Katrina Kenison, author of Mitten Strings for Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry

"Nancy Mellon's Storytelling with Children is a wise and beautiful book. It is a gift to parents and to all who love imagination. Mellon reminds us we all have the magic of story within us. If we use that gift, we bring the beauty of language, rhythm and story to our children, to our listeners."

Jay O'Callaghan, author and storyteller

Genres: Parenting, Education, Childrens

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Mommyhungry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book preaches to the proverbial choir in spending so much time encouraging parents as to the importance of storytelling. It also relays anecdotes of others' successes in telling stories (predominantly drawn from the author's storytelling groups), without really guiding the inexperienced reader through HOW to construct a story. The book's structure is also not linear in path and not intuitive in flow, making it read rather haphazardly.

Last note: There are no "Oriental" children, only carpets!

Update: Her Storytellilng and the Art of Imagination has more concrete discussions of the facets of storytelling.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first half of this book really useful with lots of ideas for storytelling, remembering stories and activities to go along with stories. However, the second half of the book was too esoteric for me with not enough suggestions I could put into practice.

Overall, the book has convinced me of the value to telling stories and given me the confidence to begin with my children, so a worthwhile read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Totally inspired me to up my storytelling efforts a few notches, and recognize and appreciate their importance to children. I would love to spend time in a workshop with other parents, guided by Nancy Mellon. But even without that, I'm having more fun with stories and making an effort to tell them more, in more varied ways, to my daughter.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely inspiring book to bring a story time in your busy schedule.

[Karleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love to read stories to my children, but there are times at bedtime I wish I could jut tell a story with the lights off. This book has given me a place to start in developing my repertoire.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i found this book to be very inspirational, encouraging and helpful. i am a little nervous about starting to storytell with my kids but i look forward to the adventure and where it will take us.

[Lindsay Evermore · Rating 4 out of 5]

So inspiring. Will definitely refer back and reread.

[Danielle Rocke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library but would like to own my own copy. It had many ideas on the art of storytelling,very helpful.

[D.S. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with some astute insight. A good book for anyone wanting to enter the world of storytelling.