 | Think about the good storytellers in your lives. Even though you've probably heard them tell the same stories over and over, you still listen to them - even as adults. We like being "storied" to. Histories were passed on this way. Great storytellers are still passing on their family histories this way. There is a romanticism with stories, radio shows, podcasts, audiobooks and oral histories. |
Kids like being storied to, too. Even big kids. If you're not a gifted storyteller yourself, you can still use picture books with big kids to tell stories. Even though they can read them for themselves. All you need is a good storybook, a story with some layers and good inflection. These stories are great as is, but can also be a great springboard into issues like homelessness, immigration, death and racism.
Eve Bunting is an especially good storyteller who includes many facets to her stories, but I've included others for your perusal.
Eve Bunting is an especially good storyteller who includes many facets to her stories, but I've included others for your perusal.
Storybooks with added layers:
- Fly Away Home: This is a picture book you can reader to younger kids but ultimately is about homelessness. You can expand on this picture book by talking about larger societal issues.
- Smoky Night: This hits upon the L.A. Riots and a family's need to flee urban violence. It speaks to the coming together of an unknown community against violence, all in one book.
- Crazy Hair: A whimsical rhyming book about crazy hair. This book can be used to discuss first impressions kids have about others.
- The Wreck of the Zephyr: A beautiful picture book which you can use to talk about the toughest of topics, death.
- The Curious Garden: A fun tale of a boy growing a garden. This books speaks to environmentalism and watching things grow.
- A Day's Work: A touching story of a young boy who helps his grandfather find work, even though he doesn't speak English.
- This is Not My Hat: A tale of stealing and getting it back. This is a great book to springboard into heavier topics like stealing, righting a wrong and reparations.
- Mr. Tiger Goes Wild: A fantastic tale of a tiger who wants to be his own. A great story of uniqueness and compromise. This is a good story for kids who are coming into their own and feeling left out of their community. For a bigger picture conversation, talk about people who are bullied or ostracized as minorities.
- Mr. Lincoln's Way: This story is a straightforward bully story. Mr. Lincoln teaches tolerance and how to encourage others to be more open. But this story also turns the bully on its head, and shows that the school bully also has something positive to contribute. This is a great story to introduce the ideas of prejudice and consequences.
