The Storytelling Review features recommend-only reviews of storytelling recordings (both audio and video) and print resources. The reviews focus primarily on traditional storytelling for youth, preschool through high school, but instructional materials and resources for storytellers are also represented. Recordings are evaluated for presentation, content, possible curriculum uses, and technical clarity. The reviewing panel consists of professional librarians and experienced storytellers, and all reviews have been vetted by Janice Del Negro, past director of the Center for Children's Books.
Our aim is to provide school and public librarians with reviews of storytelling materials to aid in selection and collection development, and to provide interested others with enough information to guide their personal purchases.
Although there are currently no plans for another edition of the Storytelling Review, the CCB will accept recordings or publications for library use. To make a donation, please send materials to:
The Center for Children's Books
501 E. Daniel Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Attn: Storytelling
*BALTUCK, NAOMI Crazy Gibberish and Other Story Stretches (From a Storyteller's Bag of Tricks); music by Naomi Baltuck. Naomi Baltuck and Linnet, 1993 45 min
Audio Cassette $10.00 (Baltuck) $12.00 (Linnet Books)
Dist. by Naomi Baltuck and Linnet Books 3-8 yrs
This is an enthusiastic collection of songs and stretches, short rhymes, calls and responses, and other program fillers that young listeners will soon be happily chanting along with. Included are a musical version of "Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?", the physical participatory chant "Hi. My Name is Joe," and the humorous parody song "Glory, Glory How Peculiar!" A boon for beginning storytellers or storytime-givers, this tape contains examples of successful material to use with youngsters in a programming setting, whether in the public library, media center, or park district. Baltuck does an expert job of communicating her enthusiasm for her work, and the kids who contribute as singers and participators are clearly having a great time. Even if you already have Baltuck's print version of Crazy Gibberish in your collection, this cassette is not superfluous. It will contribute a bunch of crowd-pleasing songs and stretches to your repertoire, and it is certain to become a favorite among young listeners.
BENDIBURG, TERSI AGRA The Woman at the Loom: Folktale Heroines of Latin America and Beyond. Tersi A. Bendiburg, 1996 62 min
Audio Cassette $10.00
Dist. by Tersi A. Bendiburg * Gr. 7-12
The women in these stories represent some of the most admirable human character traits: generosity, moral strength, love, loyalty, and wisdom. The stories are told in English with some interspersed Spanish words and phrases translated for the English speaker. Four of the five tales are adapted from the Latin American folk tradition. "A Legend from South Georgia" tells of the ill-fated love between a Spanish princess and an American sailor; a wrenching variant of the tragic "La Llorona" limns the fatal love between a Spaniard and an Indian woman. "Woman of the Wood" is a more promising tale of love, wherein a carver, tailor, and teacher turn a tree branch into a beautiful, intelligent woman whom they each desire to possess. Both "Arcia," from the Latin American tradition, and "One My Darling," from the Afro-Haitian folk tradition, are stories of cruel mothers and generous daughters, but their overwhelming theme is one of compassion. Bendiburg, possessing a melodic singing voice and an elegant delivery, is a fluid, expressive teller. Her smooth, comforting tone distinguishes between the various characters with gentle fluctuations in volume, intensity, and pacing. Her use of a cappella singing in Spanish enhances an already rewarding listening experience.
MARA Seeing with My Ears: Songs and Stories; composed by Mara (Beckerman), Ruth Pelham, and Tom Hunter. Mara, 1995 44 min
Audio Cassette $10.00 + $1.50 S&H (for first cassette, 0.50 for each additional)
Dist. by Storysong Productions * PS-Gr. 4
mara@storysong.com
The stories and songs on this recording are delightful and entertaining child-pleasers. Mara's blend of language, sound effects, and music create memorable rhythms, refrains, and characters as she adapts traditional tales like "Spider's Head," an African Anansi story; "Rabbit Run," a Buddhist "Henny-Penny"; and "The Seamstress," based on a Yiddish folksong (a variant of Nancy Schimmel's well-known retelling, "Just Enough to Make a Story"). Mara's use of song and musical accompaniment enlivens these tales enormously, and it is sure to result in spontaneous participation from listening children. The songs ("Rainbow Round Me," "Ain't No Bugs on Me," and "Seeing with My Ears") have catchy melody lines that will inspire children to sing along, and, like Anansi in "Spider's Head," they may find themselves unable to stop. Mara's vocals are clear and strong, and her timing is excellent-she never misses a beat, and her listeners won't either. This is a high-quality recording consciously designed to create a joyful listening experience for young listeners.
*MORONEY, LYNN Tales of the Sun and Moon. Lynn Moroney, 1991 45 min
Audio Cassette $9.95
Dist. by Lynn Moroney All ages
Those who already have The Feather Moon in their collection know that Lynn Moroney makes great tapes, and this title is no exception. Her lyrical introductions and subdued, elegant telling style makes these seven tales memorable long after the tape has ended. While Feather Moon contained American Indian stories featuring the stars, this tape contains stories about the sun and moon, including "How Sun and Moon Got in the Sky," "Why There Is Day and Night," the lovely tale of the shy "Sun Sisters," and the comic tale of the love-seeking "Balloo the Moon." Tales from Nigeria, Australia, and China are blessed by Moroney's respectful delivery and will fall gently on any listener's ear. Detailed source notes are included.
*SAN ANTONIO STORYTELLERS' ASSOCIATION Many Tricksters. University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, 1996 56 min
Audio Cassette $10.00
Dist. by the Institute of Texan Cultures All ages
This excellent collection of trickster tales from around the world presents a pleasing variety of stories, tellers, voices, and styles, from the Texas drawls of Angela Klinger and Mary Grace Ketner, to Mark Babino's Creole and African-American telling style, to a Jewish trickster tale from Ed Brown. Each teller obviously delights in the mischief of tricks and tricksters, taking advantage of the chance to make his or her tale shine. The diversity avoids being overwhelming through the use of the unifying trickster theme and by the careful use of sly, trickster-reminiscent music. Particularly enjoyable are the German "Fox and Geese," told by Klingler, and "Straighten Up and Fly Right," an African-American tale told by Babino. In both these stories, the trickster is tricked by his would-be victims, offering a satisfying turn-of-the-table in a tape packed with tricksters who are rewarded for their sneaky ways.
*WASHINGTON, DONNA Live and Learn . Donna Washington, 1994 40 min
Audio Cassette $10.00
Dist. by Donna Washington PS-Gr.4
Washington lends her smooth style and honey voice to this selection of nine tales from around the world. In a cheery, mischievous tone she presents a West African trickster tale, wherein a greedy Anansi gets his comeuppance from a wise turtle, and a hilarious rendition of the traditional English tale, "The Three Wishes," wherein the ubiquitous sausage is replaced by a sugar-coated jelly doughnut. Washington's retellings have an inherent humor that gives a modern twist to her characters and deliveries: the fairy in "The Three Wishes" is a scowling, exasperated sprite; the froggies in the "The Frog King" have the tone of wheedling, whining toddlers; the spoiled prince in "The Boy Who Wanted the Moon" has a temper tantrum parents (and kids) will recognize, and the three observant little froggies in "The Exploding Frog" are a slapstick comic chorus. Washington's timing is impeccable and her vocal characterizations memorable; her retellings are concise and her selections have a wide range of appeal. Younger listeners will giggle gleefully at the funny surface level, and more sophisticated listeners will be impressed by the layers of meaning Washington so capably communicates. No source notes are included.
The Storytelling Review is a print publication containing 162 recommend-only reviews of storytelling audio- and videotapes.
Ordering information is available from the GSLIS Publications office.
