 |
StorytellingA PathfinderPrepared idiosyncraticallyby Cynthia Bishop, Librarian |
 Judy Lewis - Acoma Pueblo Storyteller Pueblo Pottery Clay Storyteller Dolls from Jemez and Acoma Pueblo |
This ancient art continues to fascinate. Consciously or not, people tell stories all the time, both formally and informally, at performances, in classrooms and at dinner tables. Stories are for all ages.
This pathfinder will help you find good stories to tell, will offer help from experts on how to get started in story telling, and in how to improve your telling. It will help you locate information in the Onondaga County Public Library and on the Internet about the history of storytelling, story research, techniques of telling, organizations, and publications.
Books
Story Sources
Story Collections
Learning to Tell Stories
The Classic
Storytelling With Children
History & Research
Databases
Local Events
Associations
Other Resources
Browse in any library using the Dewey Decimal Classification System; the folklore section is the 398s.
Story Sources
Several professional storytellers have published stories that work well when told. You can do an author search for the following tellers in the library catalog. Their work is also available to hear on audiocassette or CD, and to see on VHS and DVD.
Odds Bodkin
Joseph Bruchac
Donald Davis
Cynthia deFelice
Pleasant deSpain
Heather Forest
Martha Hamilton
Bill Harley
David Holt
Eric Kimmel
Jane Kurtz
Celia Lottridge
Margaret Read MacDonald
Bobby Norfolk
Jay O'Callahan
Anne Pellowski
Judy Sierra
Laura Simms
Diane Wolkstein
Jane Yolen
Jim Weiss
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Celebrate the World: Twenty Tellable Folktales for Multicultural Festivals
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Wilson, 1994.
Ready-to-tell stories from around the world, highlighting traditional festivals. Story sources, suggestions for telling, and information on source cultures are included.
Keepers of Life
by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum, 1994.
Eighteen Native American stories, interwoven with activities to help children study plant
ecology and botany. Bruchac is a Native American storyteller and Caduto is a science instructor.
Keepers of the Animals
by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum, 1991.
Twenty-four Native American stories, interwoven with wildlife activities for children.
Keepers of the Earth
by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum, 1989.
Twenty-five Native American stories, interwoven with environmental activities for children.
Look Back and See: Twenty Lively Tales for Gentle Tellers
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Wilson, 1991.
A collection of folk tales with a gentle tone, without the violent themes of many familiar stories. Multicultural. Telling tips included.
More Ready-to-Tell Tales from Around the World
edited by David Holt and Bill Mooney. August House, 2000.
An anthology of ready-to-tell stories from around the world. Stories are appropriate for many age levels. Telling tips and story backgrounds included.
Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Linnet, 1992.
Thirty-four ready-to-tell tales from many cultures to entertain, enlighten, and to start discussion about human conflict. Culture sources and theme index included.
Ready-to-Tell Tales: Sure-fire Stories from America's Favorite Storytellers
edited by David Holt and Bill Mooney. August House, 1994.
A collection of multicultural stories that have been audience tested. Included are tips on enhancing the telling. Primary sources often included.
Shake-It-Up Tales! Stories to Sing, Dance, Drum, and Act Out
by Margaret Read MacDonald. August House, 2000.
Twenty participation stories from various cultures. Telling tips included.
Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories of Peace, Justice and the Environment
edited by Ed Brody, Jay Goldspinner, Katie Green, Rona Leventhal and John Porcino of Stories for World Change Network. New Society Publishers, 1992.
A large collection of stories, along with source notes and suggestions for telling. Indexes include age suitability, theme, story titles and contributing storytellers.
Three-Minute Tales
by Margaret Read MacDonald. August House, 2004.
Ready-to-tell stories from around the world to use when time is short.
Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Folktales for the Beginning Storyteller
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Wilson, 1986.
Besides stories, this includes story sources and suggestions for telling. Further readings included.
When the Lights Go Out: Twenty Scary Tales to Tell
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Wilson, 1988.
These tales are organized into six sections from mildly scary to downright spooky. Appropriate for different ages. Storytelling techniques suggested, along with story origins and variants.
Wisdom Tales from Around the World
by Heather Forest. August House, 1996.
A collection of fifty traditional stories from around the world, reflecting the cumulative wisdom of Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American cultures. Source notes and versions appended.
August House Publishers, Inc. is a major publisher of folklore in the U.S.
Learning to Tell Stories
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Improving Your Storytelling: Beyond the Basics for All Who Tell Stories in Work and Play
by Doug Lipman. August House, 1999.
Sound advice from a professional storyteller and storytelling coach.
The Storyteller’s Guide
by Bill Mooney and David Holt. August House, 1996.
“Storytellers share advice for the classroom, boardroom, showroom, podium, pulpit, and center stage.” A breezy introduction to finding stories, making them your own, and improving your telling and performing.
The Storyteller's Research Guide: Folktales, Myths and Legends
by Judy Sierra. Folkprint, 1996.
A brief and useful guide that covers locating and preparing stories for telling. Includes a chapter on copyright issues.
The Storyteller’s Start-Up Book: Finding, Learning, Performing and Using Folktales
by Margaret Read MacDonald. August House, 1993.
The least intimidating and most encouraging introduction to telling stories available. Practical and effective. Includes twelve tales ready to tell.
Storytelling: Art and Technique
by Ellin Greene. Libraries, 1996.
Presented from a librarian’s point of view, a look at the history, purpose and value of storytelling. Discusses finding, preparing and performing stories. Arranged by age level of audience. A good basic introduction.
Tell Me a Tale: A Book About Storytelling
by Joseph Bruchac. Harcourt, Brace, 1997.
An accomplished Native American storyteller looks at the many forms of storytelling, and offers a practical guide to the art. Mr. Bruchac clearly articulates the need for cultural sensitivity. Though addressed to young people, this is thoughtful, and useful for all beginning tellers.
The Classic
 |
The Way of the Storyteller by Ruth Sawyer. Penguin, 1977. First published in 1942, broad in scope and full of charm, this is unique in its blend of literary history, criticism, analysis, and how-to instructions. Included is a selection of international stories. |
Storytelling With Children
Children Tell Stories: A Teaching Guide
by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. Richard Owen, 1990.
A practical and detailed discussion of how to teach children to tell stories. Full of suggestions for activities. The authors are professional storytellers and educators, known as Beauty and the Beast.
The Flannel Board Storytelling Book
by Judy Sierra. Wilson, 1997.
Fifty stories, poems, and songs, and over 300 patterns for flannel board storytelling with young children.
Joining In
compiled by Teresa Miller. Yellow Moon Press, 1988.
"An anthology of audience participation stories and how to tell them."
Multicultural Folktales: Stories to Tell Young Children
by Judy Sierra and Robert Kaminski. Oryx, 1991.
Felt board stories and patterns. Stories from many countries. Storytelling techniques suggested. Stories grouped by children’s ages.
Stories to Play With
by Hiroko Fujita. August House, 1999.
“Kid’s tales told with puppets, paper, milk cartons, and imagination.” Storytelling using paper folding and cutting and other props and devices.
Storytelling for the Fun of It. A Handbook for Children
by Vivian Dubrovin. Storycraft, 1994.
Addressed to young people, this guide suggests how to find and tell stories, and how to create storytelling opportunities.
Storytelling Games
by Doug Lipman. Oryx, 1995.
“Creative activities for language, communication, and composition across the curriculum.”
The Storytelling Handbook
by Anne Pellowski. Simon and Schuster, 1995.
“A young people’s collection of unusual tales and helpful hints on how to tell them.” The stories come from many cultures.
Storytelling with Children
by Nancy Mellon. Hawthorn, 2000.
A deeply thoughtful look at the nature, power, value and effects of storytelling. Psychological and philosophical.
History & Research
Considering the recent flurry of folktale publications, it makes sense to search for the work of responsible collectors and anthologists, those who honor and are sensitive to the cultural sources of the stories they publish. Examples are Harold Courlander, John Bierhorst, Richard Chase, Joseph Bruchac, and Julius Lester. An author search in the library catalog by their names will bring you to a number of their collections.
A Guide to Folktales in the English Language
by D. L. Ashlilman. Greenwood Press, 1987.
The classification of traditional tales by type and theme, including animal, magic, religious, romantic, and formula tales. A short guide based on the Aarne-Thompson classification system.
The Storyteller’s Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children
by Margaret Read MacDonald. Neal-Schuman, 1982.
This is where you can find different versions of traditional stories.
Storytelling Encyclopedia
edited by David Adams Leeming. Oryx Press, 1997.
Concise information on historical and cultural aspects of oral traditions around the world. Invaluable background material and definitions.
The World of Storytelling. A Practical Guide to the Origins, Development, and Applications of Storytelling
by Anne Pellowski. Wilson, 1990.
The worldwide history of storytelling is well covered in this comprehensive and weighty volume.
For articles about storytelling , see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian.
Open Hand Theater offers a storytelling concert series for adults called Well Aged Words.
518 Prospect Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13208
315.476.0466
The National Storytelling Network is the major U.S. storytelling membership organization.
National Storytelling Network
132 Boone Street, Suite 5
Jonesborough, TN 37659.
1.800.525.4514.
They sponsor the storytelling Tellabrations held annually in November in
many cities, both in the U.S. and around the world.
They also sponsor a National Storytelling Conference, and, each October in Jonesborough, Tennessee, the National Storytelling Festival.
They maintain a National Storytelling Directory, an online service that provides access to
information about the storytelling community, including names and contact information for tellers.
They publish, bimonthly, the Storytelling Magazine, which contains stories and articles about telling stories. It includes calendars of storytelling events and conferences around the U.S.
NSN also maintains information about local storytelling guilds and organizations. You can search for groups by state.
Festivals
There are many regional storytelling festivals throughout the country and the year. Hearing other tellers is an excellent way to learn new stories and new approaches.
Listservs
Storytell is one of several on which one can converse electronically with practitioners and enthusiasts.