The Art of Storytelling

Spaulding's passion for storytelling is evident as she shares the skills she has learned over the years. She repeatedly drives home the importance of traditional stories and the hard but rewarding work required to tell them well. She offers practical advice on selecting and learning stories, matching the story to the audience, and avoiding common performance pitfalls. Particularly valuable is an overview of the many story types paired with her extensive "Storiography." Including but not limited to current collections, this listing often gives the flavor of the story in a single line, as in, "He had never tasted such delicious, scrumptious, crispy, luscious, delectable, exquisite, ambrosial, nectarous, yummy lettuce in aaaaaaall of his life" from "Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear" in Julius Lester's The Knee-High Man and Other Tales (Puffin, 1992). The presentation is conversational, filled with personal insights, interesting quotes, and thorough documentation. Librarians building their storytelling collections and honing their skills will want this book.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN