Blog Post #2 - Storytelling Reflection - STONE SOUP

Storytelling Reflection - Stone Soup

                    Statue of a monk and stone soup Almeirim, Portugal (Public Domain)

Storytelling is something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  My mother read to me every night, she was a teacher that read to her students, I became a teacher of young students, and then became a mother who shared the love of reading and storytelling, so this process of selecting a story to share was a trip down memory lane.  

My first step was to select JUST ONE story from the plethora of books and stories we have collected over the years.  I had already set my sights on using some sort of visual with my storytelling, as my first blog was on the art of using puppets.  Making puppets seemed a daunting task, so I thought of using some sort of prop.  This required finding just the right book.

My first thought was to select a favorite story of my daughters, which was Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood.  After re-reading the story, I wasn't sure about the appropriateness for the audience I was addressing.  This story might be more engaging (and appropriate) for the teenage reader, as it touches on the folktales, horror, and riddle tales that Greene and del Negro speak of in Chapter 9 (Greene & del Negro, 2015).  

So with this off the table for this storytelling experience, I turned to an old favorite that my mother and I both shared with our classes, and later children and grandchildren.  I don't know how it popped into my head, but that's exactly what happened when I ventured down memory lane.  

This selection was an obvious choice for using props, and props that I had readily available.  

Once I selected the story, I searched for transcripts of the story to practice since I wasn't going to have a book to read directly from during my storytelling.  After several practice runs, I "thought" I was ready to film.  I felt comfortable and confident, but I quickly learned that I still need a little more practice with my pacing and making the story "mine".  I had to take ownership for my re-telling.  This was "my" story to tell.  

Once I got this down, the experience just unfolded naturally.  I was able to use voice inflection, facial expressions, and show that I was really enjoying the experience myself.  I believe that I was able to provide my listeners with some "HAHA" moments, a little "AH HA", and a final "AAAH" moment, as Elizabeth Ellis' rubric describes (Greene & del Negro, 2015).  

If you like, take a few minutes to share in my re-telling of Stone Soup:

                               Liz Whalen's Re-telling of "Stone Soup"

After completing my storytelling experience, I wanted to look a little more closely at the folktale.  It's origins are unclear of when it began, but it is credited as a European folktale.  It seems that wherever this folktale began, it has found its way into different cultures and, even to Disney and Jim Henson.  

Jim Henson's - The Storyteller (Stone Soup)

While continuing to look into more folktales, I stumbled across the website: BookRiot with a great list of other folktales to share.

Six More Folktales from Around the World to Read to Your Kids

After spending so much time focusing on folktales, I shifted my search to myths.  Searching online seemed to direct me to mainly Greek and some Roman myths, so I decided to use the wonderful list of resources in our textbook by Greene and del Negro that offered myths and legends from diverse cultures.  This set my search, which then moved to a common theme of "creation" stories.  Sharing these stories with patrons and/or students can allow them the opportunity to explore other cultures and beliefs, but also compare and contrast the stories.  We are more alike than we realize!!

Aztec Creation Myth 

Chinese Creation Myth

The Dogon Story of Creation - Africa

Hawaiian Creation Myth

Native American Creation Myth - Hopi Tribe

Reference

Greene, E. & Del Negro, J. (2010).  Storytelling: Art and technique                  (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.