Folktales Aloud: Practical Advice for Playful Storytelling

Folktales are an integral part of children's literature and are the basis for many classic books librarians use daily in their work. These much loved tales are also the backbone of the art of storytelling. Unlike reading aloud and singing rhymes and finger plays in a storytime, storytelling is a way to engage and captivate your audience on another level. Del Negro leads novice tellers through the nuances of successful storytelling. She discusses how to best select tales that are appropriate for particular age groups, and how to turn simple words on a page into an engaging presentation that will capture your audience's attention and imagination. While storytelling may feel intimidating for many, Del Negro's assurances will impart confidence that those new to this practice may seek. The author provides more than 15 popular folktales that she has adapted and retold. These tales are captioned as Storycoaching and Del Negro does just that; coach readers on how to verbally interpret the tale in a way that they feel comfortable. Each chapter is broken out by age group. Advice is offered in a very practical way on how to approach this group and suggestions are made as to how to grab and hold their interest with pacing, movement and suspense. If you have even a passing interest in the art of storytelling, this guide is not to be missed.—Allison Santos, Princeton Public Library, NJ