Last Friday, I storytold with another library science student and read books at Indiana University’s Sports and Rec Family Night. It was a wonderful night! I loved receiving the children’s feedback regarding my stories. It seemed like they enjoyed the Mayan folktale that I shared called Rosha and the Sun (quite different from the young adult story I shared with class called “A Night of Terror”). Commenting on storytelling outside the library, Christina (my storytelling teacher) mentioned that it’s always good to ask about the surroundings you will be given. For this experience, it was located in a gym but with a tent in one corner to give centrality and warmth to the storytelling.
Speaking of children feedback, there were these two adorable twin brothers around the age of 6 who were super smart but didn’t express any creative thoughts. They were really in to talking, though. Really into talking. When we brought out a book called Edwina: the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct the two boys cried out “Dinosaurs are extinct. They’ve been extinct for like 300,000 years.” “No. Longer than that.” Another girl tried to defy them, but alas, loud, desperate, pleading voices always win. I tried “Criss cross applesauce, put your spoons in your bowl” but “We’re not 3, you know.”
I thought it was pretty cool that they decided to stay, though. They may have seemed like they were all about facts and raw data but they still craved story time.
In the end, I wish I had this last Friday:
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/betamax/betamax.swf?clip_id=4938&use_node_id=true&schedule_id=5&date=2011-04-14&fullscreen=1
Library Bonanza 