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Bringing Stories To Life
Nancy O’Connell
Children’s Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
Everyone who tells a story adds to it his or her own flavor and
personality. The power of storytelling not only fosters a sense of
community, sharing stories establish a literacy-rich environment and
fosters good behavior.
Fearsome Beast, A Folktale From Kenya, Judy Sierra, The Flannel Board
Storytelling Book. Second Edition, H.W. Wilson, 1997.
The Turnip, A Russian Folktale, Judy Sierra, The Flannel Board
Storytelling Book, Second Edition, H.W. Wilson, 1997.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff, A Norwegian Folktale, Judy Sierra, The
Flannel Board Storytelling Book, Second Edition, H.W. Wilson, 1997.
A-Hunting We Will Go (Nursery Rhyme) Mother Goose’s
Playhouse,Toddler Tales and Nursery Rhymes With Patterns for
Puppets and Feltboards, Judy Sierra, Bob Kaminski, Media Arts,
1994.Expand characters by using book: Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go by
John Langstaff, illustrated by Nancy Parker, 1991.
Anna Mariah (Anglo-American) Multicultural Folktales: Stories To Tell
Young Children, Judy Sierra & Robert Kaminski, Oryx Press, 1991.
The Turtle, Caroline Feller Bauer, Leading Kids To Books Through
Puppets, 1997. (Folkmanis turtle puppet plus puppets of your
choosing.) Adapt the script to the puppets you choose. As a one-
person show, simply pick each puppet up in turn and give one scientific
fact about where each animal lives.
Prepare the audience to chant with you in a low slow voice, “Don’t
worry about me, I’ll be home in time.”
Turtle was slowly making his way through the forest when out from
behind a bush jumped Frog.
“Hurry, Turtle. There is going to be a terrible storm; you better get
home as fast as possible.”
“Don’t worry about me,” said Turtle. “I’ll be home in time.”
Turtle plodded slowly, walking through the forest.
“O.K.” said Frog. “I better get back to my pond where I can hide deep
down in the mud.”
All of a sudden Snake slithered in front of Turtle. “Turtle, Turtle. There
is a terrible storm brewing. I see lightning flashing across the sky.”
“You better get home as fast as possible.”
“Don’t worry about me,” said Turtle. “I’ll be home in time.”
“O.K.” said Snake. “I better slither back to my hole in the ground where
I will be safe and sound.”
At this point, you may embellish the impending storm and add as many
different animals as you want. Each animal warns Turtle of the
approaching storm. This is a fantasy, so you don’t have to worry if an
elephant or giraffe puppet lives in the forest where we find Turtle.
After the last character appears and you are ready to end your story,
finish in the following ways:
Turtle stretched his neck to the sky. Little drops of rain fell onto his
Turtle head. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder was booming
so loudly. His friends and neighbors were right. The storm had arrived.
“It Is time to go home.” And he did, just like that. He pulled his head
into his shell and said, “I’m home!”
You can either hide your head under the turtle-neck of your sweater or
have the Turtle puppet’s head go into his shell.
__________________________________________________________
Mushroom In the Rain, adapted from the Russian of V. Suteyev, by
Mirra Ginsburg, illustrated by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey.
With props: Small to large plastic bowls painted beige, in order to look
like “portabella” mushrooms, attach toilet paper roll to the inside of
bowl. (bowls from small to large)
Folkmanis finger puppets (ant, butterfly, porcupine, rabbit, fox)
Once upon a time, a little ant felt raindrops dropping on top of his
head. “I need to find a place to hide.” “Aha!” “I will crawl under this
mushroom.”
Butterfly: “Ant, ant please let me come in under your mushroom. My
wings are so wet!”
Mouse: “Please let me in. I am drenched to the bone!”
Porcupine: “Please let me in. My quills are soaking wet!”
Rabbit: “Please ant let me in. There is a fox chasing me!”
Everytime each animal asks to come under the mushroom,
The ant responds, “It’s really too crowded under the mushroom,
but we will try to squish together.”
Fox: “Hey, ant!” “I’m looking for a rabbit.” “ Have you seen a rabbit go
by?” “No.” “ I haven’t seen a rabbit.”
As you all sing, “Its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring,”
move the next bowl in place covering the animals, as another animal
finger puppet tries to get out of the rain. The last bowl/mushroom will
be the biggest. Sun comes out and all of the animals are happy to be
dry.
Ask the important scientific question: “Do you know what happens to a
mushroom in the rain?”
__________________________________________________________
The Wide-Mouthed Frog, a pop-up book by Keith Faulkner, illustrated
by Jonathan Lambert, Dial Books For Young Readers, 1999.
(Frog puppet plus any animal puppets of your choosing)
As the frog meets each animal/friend, everyone sings along with the
frog, “I’m a wide-mouthed frog and I eat flies.” “What do you
eat_____?” Each animal has a particular food he eats.
Toucan: “My favorite fruit is banana passion fruit.” “While I take the
piece of fruit, I throw it up in the air and catch it with my bill.”
“Once I swallow the fruit I regurgitate the seeds.” “Spitting out seeds
helps the ecosystem.”
Mouse: “I’m a wild mouse and I eat seeds, tree bark, bulbs, corn, oats.”
Raccoon: “I eat almost anything.” “I love acorns, walnuts, worms,
insects, fruit, fish, mice and human trash.” “Sometimes I “wash” my
food by dunking it in water before I eat it.”
Beaver: “I am a herbivore.” “That means I eat only plant materials.”
“I love sap from trees, leaves, nectar, seeds, bark, wood, fruits, and
Flowers”
Turtle: “I eat plants, small insects, snails, worms, and fish.
Crocodile: Slowly says: I LOVE wide-mouthed frogs!”
Frog: “You don’t see any of them around, do you?”
Frog dives back into the pond and goes to the muddy bottom to hide.
Crocodile didn’t have lunch that day.
__________________________________________________________
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, Little, Brown Books For
Young Readers, 2009, or Mouse & Lion, Aesop, retold by Rand Burkert,
Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, 2011. (Lion & Mouse puppet,
piece of yarn or net)
Script: The Lion and the Mouse, adapted from Aesop’s Fable.
A little mouse ran out of his house—a hole under a tree in the forest.
He rubbed his eyes and WOKE UP! He wanted to have some fun. He
went down the path, looking, looking -----then he stopped dead in his
tracks. He saw lying in the middle of the path, a beautiful lion sleeping.
“Aha!” “I’m finally going to have some fun.” He jumped up the lion
and down the lion----checked the lion’s mane and 000000h tickled the
Lion’s toes and tail. “Stop!” yelled the lion. “Are you the one who
woke me up from a sound sleep?”
“Yes, dear lion---King of the Beasts.” “I’m so sorry. “I’m so sorry.”
“Your play time is over, mouse.” “Now I will eat you.” The mouse
replied, “Let me go!” “Please!” “Please let me go good lion.” “I will
help you one day---you will see!”
“You tiny little thing help a powerful lion like me?” “What could a tiny
mouse like you do for me ?”
The mouse replied, “Just let me go, please.” “Then you will find out,
Mr. Lion.”
“I will have to think about this.” “The lion thought and thought. . . . . . .”
“O.K.” “I have made my decision.” “You can go this time.”
The next day, mouse woke up and wanted to have more fun! Mouse
scampered down the path & he heard in the distance (soft sounding
Rrrrrrrrrroar) He walked further and heard a little bit louder
Rrrrrrrrrroar! He ran closer and closer to the sound-----now it was
really, really LOUD! “Rrrrrrrrrrrrroar!”
“Oh my goodness!” “ The lion is down deep in a hole and caught in a
net!” The lion could not get out!
“Help!” “Help!” yelled the lion. The little mouse ran down into the hole
and nibbled and nibbled the net. The net came down. The lion jumped
out of the hole. Lion shouted, “Were you the one who set me free?”
“Yes dear lion.” “Didn’t I tell you that one day I would help you?”
“Thank you Mouse.” “You will be my friend forever.”
__________________________________________________________
A Ghost Called Matt
(can substitute other animals in place of ghost)
Dinosaurs, bears, cats, etc. . . . .
Once there was a little blue ghost. (Place blue ghost on board)
His name was Matthew but everyone called him Matt. Matt was short
and fat and he lived with the other ghosts in the Old Ghost Hotel.
One dark Halloween night, Matt decided that he didn’t like being a blue
ghost, so he set out to find himself a new color.
Matt looked up and saw the crescent yellow moon. (add moon)
“That’s the color for me,” he thought. And he said,
I’m a ghost called Matt,
I’m short and fat,
I can change my color
Just like that.
(Clap your hands and substitute the yellow ghost. Encourage children
to participate by clapping hands and repeating chant.)
Matt flew back to the Old Ghost Hotel to show the other ghosts his new
color. (Remove moon)
They looked at Matt and said,
Ho, ho, ho.
Hee, hee, hee.
You’re the funniest---looking ghost
We ever did see.
Matt flew out the window and went looking for a new color. He saw a
witch flying through the sky. She was wearing a black dress. (Add
witch)
“There’s the color for me,” he thought. And then he said,
I’m a ghost called Matt,
I’m short and fat,
I can change my color
Just like that.
(Clap your hands and substitute the black ghost.)
Matt flew back to the Old Ghost Hotel to show the other ghosts his new
color. (remove witch)
They looked at Matt and said,
Ho, ho, ho
Hee, hee, hee.
You’re the funniest ghost
We ever did see.
Matt flew out the window and went looking for a new color. He saw an
orange jack-o-lantern sitting on the fence.
(add jack-o-lantern)
“That’s the color for me,” he thought.
And then he said,
“I’m a ghost called Matt,
I’m short and fat,
I can change my color
Just like that.
(clap your hands and substitute the orange ghost.)
Matt flew back to the Old Ghost Hotel to show the other ghosts his new
color.
(Remove jack-o-lantern)
They looked at Matt and said,
Ho, ho, ho.
Hee, hee, hee.
You’re the funniest ghost
We ever did see.
Matt flew out the window and went looking for a new color. He saw a
brown owl sitting in a tree.
(add owl)
“That’s the color for me,” he thought. And then he said,
I’m a ghost called Matt,
I’m short and fat,
I can change my color
Just like that.
(Clap your hands and substitute the brown ghost)
Matt flew off to the Old Ghost Hotel to show the other ghosts his new
color.
(remove owl)
They looked at him and said,
Ho, ho, ho.
Hee, hee, hee.
You’re the funniest ghost
We ever did see.
Matt flew out the window and went looking for a new color. He flew
around and around.
(place ghosts or animals across top of flannel board as you mention
each color.)
“I don’t want to be a yellow ghost. I don’t want to be a black ghost. I
don’t want to be an orange ghost or a brown ghost. I just want to be
me------- I want to be a blue ghost.”
I’m a ghost called Matt,
I’m short and fat,
I can change my color
Just like that.
(Clap your hands and remove the yellow, black, orange, and brown
ghosts.) Place Matt on flannel board.
Matt flew back to the Old Ghost Hotel to show the other ghosts his
original blue color. This time the ghosts did not laugh. All of the ghosts
were very happy and they said, “We love you just the way you are!”
BLUE! Source unknown
__________________________________________________________
The Princess and the Pea
By Hans Christian Andersen
(an adaptation)
There was once a prince, and he wanted to marry a princess, but she
must be a REAL princess. He travelled around the world to find a REAL
princess but he was having great difficulty finding a REAL princess.
There was always something which was not quite right about them. So
at last he came home to his castle again, and he was very sad because
he wanted a real princess so badly. One evening there was a terrible
storm; it thundered and lightning went across the sky. The rain came
down in torrents; it was a dark and fearful night. In the middle of the
storm someone knocked at the large door of the castle, and the King
himself went to open it. It was a beautiful young woman who stood
outside. “I am terribly wet, from the tip of my nose to the tip of my
toes.” “I was wondering if I could stay the night in your beautiful
castle?” “Oh, and by the way I am a REAL princess!”
“Queen, queen, please wake up!” “There is someone at the door and
she would like to stay the night out of the rain and she is a REAL
princess.”
“We shall see if that is true,” said the Queen. The Queen placed a
green pea on the bed where the “so-called princess” would sleep the
night.
“Servants, servants! Please bring mattresses into the room. The
servants piled the mattresses on top of the pea. (audience will count
the mattresses as you place them on the bed.)
“So-called Princess”, “I would like you to sleep on this bed tonight, and
in the morning I will knock on your door.” “You will tell me how you
slept the night.”
The next morning the Queen knocked on the “so-called princess’s”
door.
“How did you sleep my dear?”
“Oh, I had a terrible night sleeping.” “I felt as if there was a huge
boulder under my mattresses.” “I am all black and blue!”
“You must be a REAL princess to have felt a pea that I left under all of
the thirteen mattresses!” “Nobody but a REAL princess could have such
delicate skin.” (Queen speaking)
“My son the Prince.” “Please come quickly!” “ I would like to introduce
you to a REAL princess.”
(Son the Prince speaking) “Will you marry me?”
(Princess speaking) “Yes.”
They kissed, got married and lived happily ever after.
The End.
Grandfather Bear Is Hungry
An Even Folktale from Siberia, Teaching With Story, Classroom
Connections to Storytelling, Margaret Read MacDonald, August House,
2013. (Adapted by Nancy O’Connell)
Grandfather Bear woke up one beautiful Spring morning. He came out
of his dark dank cave. You see he had been sleeping all winter long
which is called hibernation.
“I’m so hungry, I’m so hungry!”
“I’m looking for blackberries to go in my tummy tum tummy!”
“Looking, looking, looking and I think it must be too early for
blackberries to be ripe.”
Grandfather Bear went to the stream to look for salmon.
“I’m so hungry, I’m so hungry!”
“I’m looking for some salmon to go in my tummy tum tummy!”
“Looking, looking, looking and I think it must be too early in the Spring
for the salmon to be “running.”
“I am sooooo hungry!” “I am sooooo hungry!”
“I think I will go looking for---------------wow!” “What an interesting
rotten tree stump.” “I can find bugs and grubs.” Grandfather Bear
began to shake and shake at that rotten tree stump. What Grandfather
Bear did not know was that it was the home of Chipmunk.
“Grandfather Bear! Grandfather! What are you DOING? Please don’t
tear my house down.”
“I’m so hungry!” “I’m so hungry!” “I’m so hungry, hungry, hungry!”
“Grandfather Bear, I have nuts and dried berries that I have saved for
the winter. I will SHARE with you.”
Chipmunk ran down his rotten stump and filled his cheeks with nuts
and berries. “Here, Grandfather Bear!”
“Thank you Chipmunk. But I am STILL HUNGRY!”
“Wait, Grandfather Bear. I will give you more.”
Chipmunk ran down to the bottom of the stump again.
“Here Grandfather Bear!”
“Thank you Chipmunk. But I am STILL hungry!”
“O.K., Grandfather Bear.” All day Chipmunk ran up and down, up and
down, filling his cheeks with nuts and dried berries.
At last Grandfather Bear was FULL.
“Thank you Chipmunk! I want to give you a reward. Stand very still. Do
not move.”
Grandfather Bear stroked his heavy claw SO gently. . . right down
Chipmunk’s back. He left five black stripes!
“Now when anyone sees your stripes they will remember how kind you
were to share with Grandfather Bear.”
PEACOCKS ARE VERY SPECIAL
Peacocks Are Very Special by Sue Alexander, illustrated by Victoria
Chess. 1976. ( May be purchased on Amazon)
SOME WEB RESOURCES
Puppeteers of America
http://www.puppeteers.org
A non-profit national organization that puts on festivals and shares
resources. Not a great deal of practical content but an introduction to
the puppetry community.
The Puppetry Home Page
http://www.puppetry.info
A general puppetry web site, with links to resources for scripts,
techniques, and making puppets.
Storytelling with Puppets
https://www.youtube.com/user/stories13579
The Rolling Pumpkin
A Persian Folktale
Retold by Nancy O’Connell, Marilyn Bolchunos
Once upon a time an older grandmother lived on one edge of the forest
and her daughter lived on the other side of the forest. The
grandmother wanted to visit her daughter one day, but there was one
problem. It was dark in the woods and a bit scary, so when a large wolf
jumped out into the path ahead of her, Grandma was startled.
“Don’t be afraid, Grandma,” said the wolf. “I only want to ask where
you are going.”
“I’m going to visit my daughter on the other side of the woods,” said
Grandma. “I would be very happy if you would let me pass.”
“Of course,” said the wolf, “but first you must promise to bring me back
some candy and cookies from your daughter’s house when you return.
I want lots and lots of candy and cookies.” The wolf licked his chops.
“Oh, I promise!” The wolf let her pass and Grandma scurried on her
way. She walked and walked and suddenly a big bear jumped out in the
path ahead of her.
“Don’t be afraid, Grandma,” said the bear. “I only want to ask where
you are going.”
“I’m going to visit my daughter on the other side of the woods,” said
Grandma. “ I would be very happy if you would let me pass.”
“Of course,” said the bear, “but first you must promise to bring me back
some delicious, scrumptious honey when you return. Lots and lots of
honey.” The bear licked his chops.
“Oh, I promise!” The bear let her pass and Grandma scurried on her
way. She walked and walked and suddenly a ferocious lion jumped out
in the path ahead of her.
“Don’t be afraid, Grandma,” said the lion. “I only want to ask where
you are going.”
“I’m going to visit my daughter on the other side of the woods,” said
Grandma. “I’d be pleased if you would let me pass.”
“Surely,” said the lion, “but first you must promise to bring me some
delicious meat from your daughter’s house. Lots and lots of meat.”
The lion licked his chops.
“Oh, I promise!” The lion let her pass and Grandma scurried on her
way.
Finally, Grandma reached her daughter’s house.
She told her daughter everything that happened.
“What shall I do?” Grandma replied. “There would be no way I could
carry all that those animals wanted!”
They sat down in the kitchen drinking tea, talking and thinking. All of a
sudden the daughter had an idea.
“I have a gigantic pumpkin in my garden,” she said. “I will hollow it out,
put you in it, and roll you down the path through the woods. Since it is
downhill all the way, you can roll right home.”
“What a brilliant idea!” said Grandma.
So her daughter helped Grandma go inside the pumpkin and pushed
her down the path.
As Grandma was rolling, that same lion came out of the forest and he
yelled,
Stop, Pumpkin,
Rolling pumpkin!
Have you seen Grandma?
From inside the pumpkin Grandma called,
I cannot stop,
I must not stay.
I saw no Grandma
Going this way.
And on she rolled.
She hadn’t gone too far when she met that same bear, who called out,
Stop Pumpkin,
Rolling Pumpkin!
Have you seen Grandma?
From inside the pumpkin, Grandma called,
I cannot stop,
I must not stay.
I saw no Grandma
Going this way.
And on she rolled.
She hadn’t gone far when she met that same wolf, who called out,
Stop, Pumpkin,
Rolling Pumpkin!
Have you seen Grandma?
From inside the pumpkin, Grandma called.
I cannot stop,
I must not stay.
I saw no Grandma
Going this way.
But the wolf decided to stop that pumpkin anyway. He gave a mighty
leap, landed on top of it, and broke that pumpkin open.
To the wolf’s surprise, out jumped Grandma. Quick as a wink she ran
home and slammed the door.
Do you know what happened to the wolf and his greedy friends the
bear and the lion? They had to be happy with eating pumpkin.
Lots and lots of pumpkin.