Hi All--
Here's my original query:
Does anyone have a little poem or interesting ritual you do when starting a
storytime, like lighting a story candle? I seem to recall a little rhyme
that begins, "Storytime magic, come into this room . . ." which may be from
Alice Yucht (are you out there, Alice, or still on vacation?).
I've been working on the revision of Caroline Feller Bauer's wonderful
book, New Handbook for Storytellers, due out from ALA in 2012. My thanks to the
savvy storytellers who sent me such useful info as follows.
Judy
@@@@@@@@
HIT: Story candles and poems
Thanks--
I don't know where it comes from, but one of our local children's
librarians says something like, "Allacadabra, Allakazoom, storytime magic come into
this room!" Often she is waving her hand over a box or bag when she says this
and then she says "poof" and brings out a finger puppet or some other sort
of prop to jump start the session. Lots of fun--after the first session, all
of the kids will say "poof!" with her! Lots of fun!
Stefanie Halliday
BHS Media Center
Belleville High School
Belleville, MI
FOLLOW-UP: Stefanie asked the librarian, Kristen Tierney Kostielney, who
responded:
"I am not sure where it came from. It's been here longer than me. :) I say
"Abracadabra, Abracazoom! Storytime magic come into this room." But I
think it's been said many ways. How cool!"
@@@@@@@@
I have a 'magic wand' that makes a sound like a tuning fork! It lets the
children know that when the sound of the wand is finished, the story
begins!
I get mine from a local supply store, JUST THE THING, but they can be found
elsewhere, I am sure. We can't light candles in our school...fire hazard!
Frances Rash, Salisbury NC
JUDY SEZ: Oh, that is just PERFECT! I found it on Amazon & at
Chinaberry.com. Thanks so much for letting me know about this. Now I need one!
It's the most perfect thing: a star-shaped Musical Fairy Wand that works
like a tuning fork and makes a lovely Tinggggggggg!, for a perfectly
affordable $6.
AND FRANCES WRITES BACK:
Glad you like it, the kids enjoy the ‘magic’ and the sound gradually fades
and they are silent when it stops…now, I am a middle school media
specialist who found herself in a primary school, so trust me, anything that
silences
little ones is a miracle to me!!!
Frances
@@@@@@@@@
Hi Judy,
I used to work in a Waldorf school and in both the Kindergarten and Nursery
classrooms storytime would start like this....
(Singing quietly)
Fire fairies come to us,
Fire fairies come to us,
and the fire fairies come,
bringing golden light from the sun. (As the last line is spoken the candle
is lit. )
The candle would be centrally located to the stortime area and be
surrounded by what is fondly called the nature table in Waldorf schools- which
would
have a beautiful silk cloth on the table and the children would bring in
something from nature as they find them. Usually fresh flowers would be
present as well. I love this ritual and plan to us it this year with my nursery
and kinder kids in my new job as an elementary librarian. As the story is
concluded, I would say,
Snip, snap, snout,
This tale is told out.
(And snuff out the candle.)
Please post a hit, I would love to see others responses as well.
Enjoy your day!
Catalina Charles
Catalina Charles
RC Buckley Elementary School, Lansing Central School District
Lansing, NY
@@@@@@@
Hi Judy,
I don't light a candle 'cuz I'm in a public library and they'd hang me by
my heels, but I do remember Lulu Delacre having a book about a Story Candle.
Might even be the title. It might have an idea for you.
Barb Langridge
Children's Services
Howard County Central Library
10375 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045
barb.langridge@hclibrary.org
JUDY SEZ: Oooh! You're so right! I just went back and added it to my
manuscript. How could I have forgotten it! It's The Storyteller's Candle / La
Velita de los Cuentos (Children's Book Press, 2009) Lovely! Thanks for the
head's up!
@@@@@@@@@
poitwrtr@yahoo.com writes:
> you could try wearing a story hat or keeping stuffed animals around for
> kids to cuddle or even laying out sleeping bags so kids can sprawl out good
> luck.
>
JUDY SEZ: I don't have a story hat--great idea; I'll start looking for
one--but I am utterly crazy about my Story Apron from www.Mimismotifs.com, which
I wear all the time.
@@@@@@
Light a CANDLE??
WIth an OPEN FLAME?
In a PUBLIC SCHOOL?
Oh my.
I don' t think I am allowed to do that. SOOOo dangerous!
LOL
On the other hand, I would love a chant or something to repeat as we are
opening a story....
All the ones I know are about still quiet hands.
Karen DeFrank, LMS Dorothy L. Bullock Elementary School
Glassboro Intermediate School
Glassboro NJ
k d e f r a n k @ g l a s s b o r o s c h o o l s . u s
@@@@@@@@@@
Wish we could light a story candle! Fire restrictions keep us from doing
that. But it also keeps our teachers and secretaries from lighting all the
scented candles that can cause respiratory problems for me and others with
asthma and respiratory problems!!
I'll look forward to seeing the results of your message!
Shirley Lukenbill, Librarian
Wooldridge Elementary, Austin (TX) ISD
Lecturer, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin
Lecturer, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State
University
slukenbill@sbcglobal.net
JUDY SEZ: Not to worry. You can always use a battery-operated flameless
candle you can turn on and off. I found lots of them online.
@@@@@@@@
And finally, here's the section that I just wrote for the book,
incorporating some of your excellent suggestions, and even writing a new rhyme.
Thanks
many times over for making my writing day go so smoothly! You folks are the
bees' knees!
FROM THE FORTHCOMING Handbook for Storytellers, by Caroline Feller Bauer
and Judy Freeman (ALA, 2012):
Setting the Mood: The Story Candle
The introduction to a single story or to the program as a whole often sets
the mood for the entire period. A traditional opening is the lighting of a
candle, as you'll see in the historical picture book, The Storyteller's
Candle/La Velita de los Cuentos by Lucia Gonzalez (Children's Book Press, 2008),
that introduces the famed storyteller, Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican
librarian in the New York City Public Library system.
When the candle is burning the children learn that the time has come to
settle down and listen. After the last story is told, the storyteller or a
child from the audience blows out the candle and everyone silently makes a wish.
Perhaps you want to recite a simple rhyme as you light the candle (or, if
you are worried about fire safety, buy a battery-operated flameless candle
you can turn on). Try this one when you light the candle:
Abracadabra, Abrakazoom,
Storytime magic, come into this room!
Allacadabra, Allakazoom,
Light first the candle and let stories bloom.
When storytime is over, blow out the candle with this one:
Allacadabra, Allakazoom,
Storytime magic came into this room;
Blow out the candle, our tales are unfurled;
Gave us a journey all over the world.
To end her storytimes, elementary school librarian, Catalina Charles, from
Lansing, New York says, simply:
Snip, snap, snout,
This tale is told out.
She snuffs out the candle on the word "out." Very effective. You'll recall
that that's the ending to the Norwegian folktale, “The Three Billy Goats
Gruff.”
If you don't want to use the storyhour candle, substitute your own
trademark. Perhaps you have a banner that you unfurl at the beginning of each
program or a bell that rings to summon your audience. Shake a tambourine or try
some finger chimes or a triangle for a lovely, clear note. The wonderful
Chinaberry catalog, at www.chinaberry.com has the most perfect thing: a
star-shaped Musical Fairy Wand that works like a tuning fork and makes a lovely
Tinggggggggg!, for a perfectly affordable $6. If you play the guitar, harmonica,
or some other portable instrument, you may want to begin and end each
program with your own theme song. Whatever you choose, it is pleasant in this era
of sudden change to build and maintain a tradition in the storyhour,
something that automatically means "It's time for stories."
Judy
Judy Freeman
Children's Literature Consultant
Reviewer for www.READKIDDOREAD.com
Author of Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3
(Libraries Unlimited, 2006; www.LU.com)
and Once Upon a Time:
Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and
Reader's Theater with Children in Grades K-6 (2007)
and the all-new The WINNERS! Handbook (2010)
65 North Sixth Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-572-5634 / BKWSSF@aol.com
www.JudyReadsBooks.com
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