How & why stories : world tales kids can read & tell

How & why stories World tales kids can read & tell

Martha Hamilton

Book - 1999

A collection of twenty-five traditional pourquoi stories explaining why an animal or plant or natural object looks or acts the way it does. Following each story are storytelling tips and short modern, scientific explanations for the subject of the story.

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Subjects
Animals > Folklore > Juvenile literature.
Nature > Folklore > Juvenile literature.
Folk tales.
Genres
Folk tales
Published
Little Rock, Ark. : August House Pub 1999.
Language
English
Main Author
Martha Hamilton (-)
Other Authors
Mitch Weiss, 1951- (-), Carol Lyon, 1963- (illustrator)
Physical Description
96 pages : illustrations, map ; 26 cm
ISBN
9780874835625
9780874835618
  • Introduction
  • Where the Stories Come From (Map)
  • How and Why Stories
  • Thunder and Lightning (Nigeria (Ibibio))
  • How Tigers Got Their Stripes (Vietnam)
  • Why Bat Flies Alone At Night (U.S. (Modoc Indian))
  • The Mill at the Bottom of the Sea (Korea)
  • Why Cats Wash Their Paws After Eating (Europe)
  • Why Ants Are Found Everywhere (Burma)
  • Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together (Cameroon/Nigeria (Ekoi))
  • Why the Baby Says "Goo" (U.S. (Penobscot Indian))
  • Why the Farmer and the Bear Are Enemies (Russia)
  • Why Hens Scratch in the Dirt (Philippines)
  • Why the Sun Comes Up When Rooster Crows (China)
  • Why Dogs Chase Cats (U.S. (African-American))
  • The Dancing Brothers (U.S. (Onondaga Indian))
  • The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking (India)
  • The Story of Arachne (Greece)
  • Rabbit Counts the Crocodiles (Japan)
  • The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean (Germany)
  • How Brazilian Beetles Got Their Gorgeous Coats (Brazil)
  • The Quarrel (U.S. (Cherokee Indian))
  • Why Parrots Only Repeat What People Say (Thailand)
  • The Taxi Ride (Northern Ghana/Mauritania)
  • How Owl Got His Feathers (Puerto Rico)
  • Two Brothers, Two Rewards (China/Korea/Japan)
  • Why Bear Has a Stumpy Tail (Norway)
  • Where All Stories Come From (U.S. (Seneca Indian))
  • General Tips for Telling Stories
  • Activities
  • Appendix. Story Sources
Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 5 and up, younger for reading aloud. Why is the sea salty? Why do cats wash their paws after eating? How did tigers get their stripes? With 25 lively pourquoi (how and why) stories from everywhere, this is not only a resource for storytellers but also an informal guide to encourage kids to tell the stories themselves. The accessible introduction talks about the folklore and raises crucial questions about why so many similar stories exist across cultures. Whether the folktale is Chinese, Cherokee Indian, Nigerian, Norwegian, African American, or whatever, the storytelling is all in the same voice: immediate, casual, friendly, but also, generic. However, the particular sources are discussed and other versions are listed in detail. What's excellent here, for libraries and classroom connections, are the hands-on "tips for telling." There's a general afterword about how to choose, learn, and tell stories (Don't get in the way of the story. Vary your voice. Don't be afraid of silence). Best of all is the practical advice with each individual story, including suggestions for particular gestures, pacing, sounds, and movements to help listeners see pictures in their minds. --Hazel Rochman

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-8-A collection of 25 pourquoi tales intended for young storytellers. The authors address readers' possible feelings of apprehension, but encourage them to at least try storytelling-for most satisfying rewards. The selections span the globe, with general notes identifying their origins and more detailed source notes provided in the bibliography. The format is consistent: the story is presented, followed by a brief explanation of the scientific process that the tale explains, and some helpful tips for telling it. Suggestions include tone of voice and specific gestures to use. The majority of the stories deal with explaining certain animal behaviors, but other subjects are included. The book concludes with general tips on selecting, learning, and telling a story. Each tale has at least one black-and-white line drawing. Similar in scope to Ann Pellowski's The Storytelling Handbook (S & S, 1995), which has more information about getting involved with storytelling, as well as selection and preparation, Hamilton and Weiss's book provides more assistance for telling the individual tales included. A useful book for anyone eager to learn the storytelling process.-Elizabeth Maggio, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Collected here are twenty-five [cf2]pourquoi[cf1] tales from various world cultures that explain some aspect of nature, such as why the sea is salty or how the owl got its feathers. Following each brief tale is a short scientific explanation of the natural phenomenon and helpful tips for telling the story effectively. This collection will inspire budding storytellers, young and old alike. Source notes are provided. Bib. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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