Happy Storytelling Day! Today, we celebrate the art of storytelling. In my culture, stories were passed down orally as were our histories. Now, we have books in which we can share our stories and this helps some of the most amazing stories to be spread around the world and fill children with joy. And, it’s not just for kids. Adults can enjoy storytelling too!
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World Storytelling Day, as it suggests, is celebrated all over the world. It provides a way for people to get together around a common cause, books! In the spirit of Storytelling Day, I want to share some of my favorites books. What better way to start off a conversation could there be? Every now and then, I curl up in a blanket with a cup of tea and reread these. I enjoy the nostalgia they bring. And I love the new memories that they create for my own children. The best books for storytelling are:
A Story, a Story by Gail E. Haley
Anansi the Spider: by Gerald McDermott
Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (Picture Puffin Books) by Margaret Musgrove
Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier
Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury: 4 Complete Stories in 1 Volume! by Arnold Lobel
House on Mango Street by Sandro Cisneros
When I was introduced to the story, it was actually the Spanish version first! I have both versions now though!
How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
Jabutí the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott
Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary Chamberlin
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John L. Steptoe
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The People Who Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton
We All Went On Safari (English and Swahili Edition) by Laurie Krebs
Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
Why The Sky Is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale by Mary-Joan Gerson
Of course these just a few of my favorites. To share them all would result in an endless list. From these books, you can:
- Create unit studies
- Create arts and crafts
- Create a play
- Design games
- Have a table discussion
- Have kids to rewrite their favorites stories or add an additional chapter.
- and more
Let us know if you’ve read any of these. We’d love to hear from you! In addition to the wonderful books above, you can also find great stories with the Epic app.
Read the best chapter books on Epic! & get access to more than 20,000 amazing children’s books. They do have some audio and videos too!
Also, I’ve recently joined Kobo. It’s an audiobook application. I’ve been enjoying this while going on my evening walks and my kids have used it to play audio versions of their favorites when going to bed in the evening.
What are your favorite storytelling books?
Hasta Pronto!
Please feel free to share your comments or suggestions! I would love to hear from you. If you enjoy reading my blog, make sure to sign up so that you can always be alerted for new posts, tips, and recipes. You can also find me at Wombology (A Safe Place for Women to Heal) and Being Mama Dot (Chronicles of a Homeschool Mom).
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Hi! I’m Kat aka Mama Dot! Nice to meet you. I’m a homeschooling mom of three boys. By day, I run a mom’s blog (Being Mama Dot) and subscription service (Wombology). In my downtime, I create resources for families homeschooling children of color at Our Learning Curve. I love coffee, reggaeton (music in Spanish), knitting, and reading. My favorite thing to do is to feel my feet in the sand. #beachbum. Currently, I am an MA/Ph.D. student in Africana and Latin American studies. When I am not in school, I spend my days running my online business and taking care of my little ones. Make sure to check out OLC’s Instagram, Twitter, or join us over at Facebook.