From September 16-18, I had the opportunity to perform at a number of libraries in the Toledo-Lucas County Library system. The first stop in my tour was the Main Library, and it was absolutely magical. From the moment you enter the children’s area, you are greeted by a larger-than-life book with the words “Once Upon… Read more »
lindsay bonilla
The “Ram” Visits Early Childhood Resource Center
I started off the month of September with a half-hour version of the Mexican folktale “The Ram in the Chile Patch” for the Early Childhood Resource Center in Canton. Their theme for the month was “ants,” and since the hero of this particular folktale is una hormiga (the Spanish word for ant), I thought it… Read more »
Stories To Fight Prejudice
Earlier this month I told the story of Frog and Snake for the first time. This folktale of the Ekoi people from the Cameroon and Nigeria deals with the concept of taught prejudice, making it as relevant today as when it was first told. In the story, a young frog and snake meet and become… Read more »
The Danger of Assumptions: How We Underestimate Our Adolescents
On my last day of workshops with Stark County District Library, I arrived at my first library of the day and began to wait for the children to arrive. The librarian expressed a concern to me. I usually did my performances in the afternoons. This time her library had been scheduled for a morning slot,… Read more »
I Should Have Known Better: The Deep Engagement of Children with Story
I should have known better. I have been doing interactive storytelling for a few years now. I even teach workshops about it and am always quick to point out how involved children become in the stories. And yet, what happened last week caught me off guard. I was telling an Asian folktale about two siblings…. Read more »
