October 27 – Tell a Story Day

Happy Tell a Story Day!

With the countless children’s stories which use the word ‘story’ in their titles, it’s hard to choose just a few to review. Of course there are classics like A Story, A Story by Gail E. Haley (1971 Caledcott Medal), The Story of Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe (1985 Caldecott Honor), and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (1989). If you don’t know these, you should! Then run out and pic up some new titles which may become classics someday.

Elephant’s Story written and illustrated by Tracey Campbell Pearson (2013)

Gracie lost her favorite book. Elephant found it. But Elephant didn’t know how to read and all the words went straight up his trunk. When he sneezed, all the letters flew everywhere. Elephant collected all the letters and showed them to his friends. No one could help him. Alligator tried to eat the letters, Seal tried to juggle the letters, the monkeys tried to toss the letters, and Bear just wanted to sleep. When Gracie came back for her book, Elephant was sitting on it. Gracie pulled on Elephant’s trunk and when that didn’t work she tickled his trunk until he sneezed again, and all the letters came out. Gracie helped Elephant arrange the letters to make the words of her story. Then she read him the story making up parts as she went along.

The Story of Fish and Snail written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman (2013)

Every day Snail waits for Fish to come back into his book and tell him about his great adventures. But one day Fish doesn’t want to tell Snail the story, he wants to show Snail the story. Snail is too afraid to leave his own book and Fish goes on without him. Finally Snail musters up all his courage and dives into a new book. Together in the new book, Fish and Snail act out the story as Jolly Pirate Fish and First-Cat-Mate Snail.

Bear Has a Story to Tell written by Phillip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2012)

‘It was almost winter and Bear was getting sleepy.’ Before Bear goes to sleep for the winter he wants to share a story with his friends, but everyone is busy getting ready for winter themselves. Bear helps Mouse collect seeds. He checks the direction of the wind for Duck. He tucks Frog into a sleepy little nest in the ground. And he checks on his friend Mole who is already asleep. Then Bear falls asleep. When spring arrives, Bear gathers all his friends together to tell them his story… but he has forgotten what it was. His friends suggest that it might have been a story with many characters, Bear, and Mouse, and Duck, and Frog, and Mole. Then Bear clears his throat and begins his story. ‘It was almost winter and Bear was getting sleepy.’