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Pete Seeger's Storytelling Book
In an innovative treasury of tales, music, and ideas, the renowned folksinger offers a complete guide to the art of storytelling, with new versions of familiar folktales, original stories, and tales based on songs, family histories, and the past, along with suggestions for retelling and personalizing the stories and tips on creating one's own storytelling tradition. 35,000 first printing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2000
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About the author
Pete Seeger
164 books56 followersPeter Seeger, better known as Pete Seeger, was a folk singer, political activist, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. As a member of the Weavers, he had a string of hits, including a 1949 recording of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene" that topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. However, his career as a mainstream performer was seriously curtailed by the Second Red Scare: he came under severe attack as a former member of the Communist Party of the United States of America. Later, he re-emerged on the public scene as a pioneer of protest music in the late 1950s and the 1960s.
He was perhaps best known as the author or co-author of the songs "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)", and "Turn, Turn, Turn!", which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement and are still sung throughout the world. "Flowers" was a hit recording for The Kingston Trio (1962), Marlene Dietrich, who recorded it in English, German and French (1962), and Johnny Rivers (1965). "If I Had a Hammer" was a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary (1962) and Trini Lopez (1963), while The Byrds popularized "Turn, Turn, Turn!" in the mid-1960s. Seeger was also widely credited with popularizing the traditional song "We Shall Overcome", which was recorded by Joan Baez and many other singer-activists, and became the publicly perceived anthem of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement soon after musicologist Guy Carawan introduced it at the founding meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960.
He was perhaps best known as the author or co-author of the songs "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)", and "Turn, Turn, Turn!", which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement and are still sung throughout the world. "Flowers" was a hit recording for The Kingston Trio (1962), Marlene Dietrich, who recorded it in English, German and French (1962), and Johnny Rivers (1965). "If I Had a Hammer" was a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary (1962) and Trini Lopez (1963), while The Byrds popularized "Turn, Turn, Turn!" in the mid-1960s. Seeger was also widely credited with popularizing the traditional song "We Shall Overcome", which was recorded by Joan Baez and many other singer-activists, and became the publicly perceived anthem of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement soon after musicologist Guy Carawan introduced it at the founding meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 12, 2022
I love Pete Seeger and I loved this book. It gave me lots of inspiration and ideas for my own storytelling both oral and written. I believe in storytelling and especially enjoy keeping family stories alive through retelling.
March 27, 2012
This was probably a guaranteed *love* for me. What surprised me was how much my 18-month-old toddler loved it!
This is not a picture book, or the type of book you would expect a very young toddler to sit through. It is chapter-book sized collection of stories by Pete Seeger. Still, I began reading these stories to my young toddler at naptime, and she adored them.
My daughter's favorite was "Abiyoyo," a story I always enjoyed reading to groups in picture book form. But even after I showed her that we had a copy of the picture book and read it to her, she continues to carry over this copy to have me read it from there. As a storyteller/librarian/parent that warms my heart.
I was very fond of the story with the yopping peas, as well as the train that lands in the lake.
Great collection!
This is not a picture book, or the type of book you would expect a very young toddler to sit through. It is chapter-book sized collection of stories by Pete Seeger. Still, I began reading these stories to my young toddler at naptime, and she adored them.
My daughter's favorite was "Abiyoyo," a story I always enjoyed reading to groups in picture book form. But even after I showed her that we had a copy of the picture book and read it to her, she continues to carry over this copy to have me read it from there. As a storyteller/librarian/parent that warms my heart.
I was very fond of the story with the yopping peas, as well as the train that lands in the lake.
Great collection!
May 9, 2010
good stories from a great storyteller!
September 4, 2013
A collection of "nice" stories to tell to children of all ages.
October 14, 2012
I only gave this a three star rating simply because I would like it way more if I were reading it to kids as opposed to just reading it.
October 10, 2018
Written by a fabulous storyteller this book was a fun departure from my usual fiction reading. Mr. Seeger outlines the art of storytelling and shares many wonderful examples of stories worth telling. Fun book that gives some great pointers for anyone who has been asked to “tell me a story”.
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August 30, 2016I am in two minds about this book: some bits are such invaluable truths: 'I think the more stories you tell, the more confident you'll gain. The first book I wrote was How to Play the Five-String Banjo. On page 18 it said: 'For the secret of clear crisp tone, see page 30'. On page 30 it said: 'Practice'- and 'Daily life today is perhaps safer, but is much more complex. Just think of all the choices at our fingertips...' - 'Nobody is so babd that they don't have some good in them. And nobody is so good that they don't have some bad in them.' 'If there is still a human race here in a hundred years, I'm convinced that music will be one of the main reasons for our survival.'
But the stories are not very good -I think, and often I find they are over militant. But then I think that was Pete Seeger. He was a great guy who did a lot of great things, and mostly sharing music with all, but very militant.
But the stories are not very good -I think, and often I find they are over militant. But then I think that was Pete Seeger. He was a great guy who did a lot of great things, and mostly sharing music with all, but very militant.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews