"How to Tell Stories to Children" (Joseph Sarosy and Silke Rose West)

TITLE: How to Tell Stories to Children
AUTHOR: Joseph Sarosy and Silke Rose West
PUBLISHER: Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021, (208 pages)
 

When a child asks for a story, he is not asking for a narrative but attention. This one gem is already worth the price of the book. Children loved stories. We all do. Whether it is fairy tales or present-day events, they loved to hear them from the mouths of people close to them. Parents, grandparents, teachers, babysitters, childcare assistants, even professors could learn several things from this fantastic book about telling stories. Using the storytelling loop, readers are encouraged to use everyday objects and events to connect with children. There is no need to fret over trying to remember stories of long ago or some dramatic classics from the library. All we need is some imagination, some keen observation, and our natural selves. Telling stories often build trust. They also enable children to grow with a healthy curiosity. For the growing storyteller, the good news is that such a skill often improves one's social standing as well. After all, relationships are about connection, and what better way to begin by practicing with children. For all we know, we are the best storyteller as far as they are concerned. While there are many storybooks out there, not many of them focus on original storytelling. This book helps us do that and more. Focusing on storytelling as a relationship, readers are urged to be more observant of the things near them instead of grasping at things far away. The more one finds one's unique voice, the more original and captivating the storytelling would be. We would be encouraged that we are already great storytellers. The difference is, many of us are waiting for our own storytelling prowess to be discovered! Sarosy and Rose West show us how. 

The storytelling loop essentially about the process rather than content. Take something ordinary, tell a story about it, and from the unique situation, weave a story around them. It sounds easy but practice makes perfect. We learn how to use simple daily objects and to let our imagination run wild, and invite the children to run wild with us. That is the key, for stories often are bridges between reality and imagination; facts and fantasy. Readers also get to listen to the sample stories after each chapter. The goal is not a perfect story but a connection with the children. We learn other tips about starting simple; establishing a rhythm; telling stories of various genres; and many more. Indeed, the book excites me because it not only is easy to follow, it encourages us to be ourselves. That is so important. Often, we tend to dumb ourselves down just because we can't remember stories we have heard or struggle to find stories to please children. Once we realize that children are mainly seeking our attention, the pressure's off and we are left to discover ways to connect with our kids. No longer will we be handicapped into silence when kids want to hear our voices. With simple objects and creative imagination, we can be great storytellers. Thanks to Sarosy and Rose West, we are encouraged to take this journey of telling stories using ordinary objects and natural circumstances. I believe that the benefits of developing such skills grow far beyond just children, but also for adult storytelling as well. This is a great book to inspire not only storytellers but all storytellers waiting to be discovered.

Authors Joseph Sarosy and Silke Rose West are early childhood educators who have told thousands of hours of stories with children. Sarosy is the founder of the Juniper School, an outdoor school comprising of children in grades 1-3. He manages a blog called "The Storytelling Loop." Silke Rose West is a Waldorf teacher and a veteran in the Waldorf method in teaching kindergarten kids.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.