ǂThe ǂstoryteller's start-up book : finding, learning, performing and using folktales including twelve tellable tales

for Those Who Want To Begin Storytelling But Don't Know Where To Start, The Storyteller's Start-up Book Offers Everything One Could Ask For. Margaret Read Macdonald, A Folklorist And Children's Librarian Who Is Also A Touring Storyteller, Offers Basic Start-up Information On Finding Stories, Looking At Them Critically, Starting A Story Bank, Networking With Other Storytellers, And Creating A Storytelling Event. library Journal following Her Fine Collection, Peace Tales (shoe String, 1992), Macdonald Here Distills Her Extensive Storytelling Experience Into 16 Very Brief, Schematically Organized Chapters. Her Advice Covers The Practical Ground, From Selection, Learning (in One Hour!), Performance, And Setting To Classroom Applications. Her Philosophy Of Telling Is Simple: ``do It!'' A Confidence-building Coach, Macdonald Conveys The Value Of Storytelling In An Infectious Manner. A Dozen Texts Of Proven Success Follow, With Performance Tips And Source Notes. Equally Valuable Are The Selected And Annotated Bibliographies Appended To Every Chapter. This Straightforward Volume Would Be A Handy Reference Even For Veterans. Few Readers Will Be Able To Encounter Macdonald's Encouraging Advocacy Without Feeling An Urge To Find A Story And Audience Of Their Own.-- Patricia Dooley, Univ. Of Washington Lib. Sch., Seattle Finding, learning, performing, and using folktales. For those who want to begin storytelling but don't know where to start, The Storyteller's Start-Up Book offers everything one could ask for. Margaret Read MacDonald, an award-winning folklorist and children's librarian who is also a touring storyteller, offers basic start-up information on finding stories, looking at them critically, starting a "story bank," networking with other storytellers, and creating a storytelling event. In chapters on learning and performing folktales, MacDonald offers the reader suggestions for finding his or her own performance style. Most importantly, MacDonald presents twelve fool-proof tales that will work for the first-time storyteller. Arranged in ethnopoetic style to relay a sense of rhythm, the stories encourage audience participation and feature enough repetition to make them easy to remember. These multicultural tales selected from the folklore of Angola, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, Siberia, Wales, and Zaire will delight any audience. Includes excellent bibliographies to help the new teller continue to explore the world of storytelling.