The Mitten

Today was the first "Storytime with Megan" at my work. I told my adaptation of Jan Brett's adaptation of The Mitten. The basic transcript is posted to the left. I followed her storyline, but the repetitive refrains that each animal uses are original to me.

I was very excited...I had knit two different sized mittens and cut all of the animals out of felt. It was a lot of prep work for an 8 minute story, but now I have the tools should I ever tell the tale again. (Although my sister, who just got her elementary ed degree seems to think she needs them...)

The work was worth it, because my coworkers were truly delighted. (And I like to think it was my storytelling, not the juice boxes and animal crackers that they loved.) They said that they had not expected me to do voices, and you can hear them chuckling in the background of the video. Afterwards several asked to look at the book, they wanted to get copies for their kids/grandkids.

Things I learned: Up-angles are not flattering! Grape is the most popular juice flavor! Wear a belt when telling this story, so that you have someplace to tuck the mittens!

Also, I need to thank Bill who filmed it for me. He was worried it would be shaky, but used a chair to prop the camera...maybe tomorrow I will take a tripod...

The video of the story is posted to the left!

Change in Plans

Originally I was going to hold an inspirational, business related, storytelling session for the sales and management teams at my company.

Now, due to a high volume of stress in the workplace, and a desire for whimsy and decompression, I am holding 3 escapist children's storytelling sessions at work...for all of the employees.

The idea is for me to tell a different story everyday. I chose The Mitten, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and (by popular request) Little Bunny FooFoo. The sessions are scheduled at slightly different times so that my co-workers can come to the session that best fits their lunch or break schedule...or they can come to all three! Granted, the stories are aimed at a much younger audience, but that is what is so hilarious about the whole thing! My coworkers can pretend to be kids again!

3 days...3 different stories...Juice Boxes...Cookies...

This is going to be fun!

The advertising flyer being circulated at my office is posted to the left. It gives the nitty gritty...what story, what day, what time, etc.

Flannel and Franklin

One of my co-workers has an adorable little boy named Franklin. He and I are buddies. He will tell you so. I have hung out with him a couple of times at Chuck E. Cheese, and read him stories and entertained him during company baseball games and Christmas parties. Franklin goes to daycare at a little school right behind our office, and even now his mother is trying to arrange for me to do a storytelling session there on one of my lunch breaks! Yay!

I am working on stories for the session...on the assumption that is going to happen!

One that I definitely want to do is a retelling of The Mitten by Jan Brett. It is a cute story, and I think I have figured out a really cool hook. I am going to make the animal characters out of felt, or find small figurines. Then I will get a mitten and show the animals crawling in one by one. I was concerned about the animals sizes until I remembered that in Jenine's Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly the animals weren't to scale.

More bulletins as ideas hit me...