Making a new kamishibai story: La Cucarachita

Three days of indescribable mess and I've finally finished making the cards for a new story for the kamishibai! 

I'm off soon to the International Storytelling Conference in NSW in June, there's the inaugural  Winter Kids Festival in July and then there's  Sweet Tidings at the Immigration Museum ... as if I don't have enough to think about! But I adore this story about the cockroach who falls in love with a mouse; very popular in Spanish speaking countries. I had an excuse to skype my storyteller friend Luis Correia Carmelo in Portugal, as I decided that I must speak some Spanish to go with. This little cockroach is thinking about all the sweet she would like to eat: un helado, un chocolatte ...

And ... um .. there's a pig (cerdo) in the story ...   

I have adapted this traditional story from a version I found in Montgomery Kelly's wonderful book available here

Champions Read: Storyteller for Bookweek 2012

Children's Book Week is the highlight of the year for storytellers and authors. Its a wonderful chance to meet our readers, tell stories and share news of our up and coming projects.

The theme for Book Week is Champions Read. I'm not sure if Phar Lap was great reader but if he was I'm sure he would approve of my story.

When I chose to write about this champion I had no idea how much research was involved and then I decided to write the story in verse! That's a story in itself!

Listen to an interview about the process of writing Phar Lap the wonderhorse and a reading here

Read more about my schools programs here

Bookings: 

The Storytelling Garden (03) 9569 6149. tania@storygarden.com.au 

or Creative Net

To purchase  Phar Lap the wonder horse (Illustrated by Patricia Mullins, pub. Museum Victoria): 

Melbourne Museum 

Boomerang Books

My second book Lyrebird! a true story will be out shortly and promises to be another winner.

Kamishibai in the UK, Italy and Australia

Here is some news of the international connections in my universe - happening because of Japanese kamishibai. Enjoy ...

At the top of this post is Derek Carpenter from the UK. Derek and I met .. well I don't remember how .. but it was to do with a mutual fascination in kamishibai. In particular, we both share an interest in the idea of swapping and trading stories around the world to boost our repertoire. So we set up the Kamishibai Library of Swaps. Well ... sadly we have not been inundated with folk keen to trade but we've had some fun. You can see Derek on a cold day in Newcastle in the UK with his rig and his story, The Two Brothers. And below is me in Australia on a very hot day, at the Comic Book Festival in Melbourne with the same story. Derek sent me the images as jpegs and I took them to my local printer and there they are!

Here is Roberto Leopardi in Italy. Roberto found me via my website and emailed me some of his adventures. Roberto believes he is currently the only gaito (street) kamishibai in Italy but hopes that some other young street artists are willing to learn. After 20 years of hand puppets, he started  two years ago with the kamishibai and says, 'no puppet show can give me same satisfaction and positive response from kids...' Roberto is currently developing a story about the arrival of the potato from South America to Europe in the 16th century for a local tourist association near Bologna.

You can learn more about Roberto here

and Derek Carpenter here

and of course I am here

Photos: Canterbury Tales Book Club. Williamstown Literary Festival 2012

For those of you  who have been following the story ...  this group of creatives is (mostly) connected through the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club. Sharing an interest in combining music, storytelling, dance and visual art and seeing the Williamstown Literary Festival on the horizon, they formed the The Canterbury Tales Book Club Project. An advance party approached the Literary Festival committee with a plan to present the results of the Book Club to the public and we were given the green light!. Clear as mud?

Well ... enjoy the pics! We had a fabulous time presenting lectures, re-tellings of some of the favourite Tales, Morris Dancing and songs.


Tales told: The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Miller's Tale and The Pardoner's Tale. Each of the storytellers took on their task in unique ways. Pictured at the top is Bernard Caleo (Nun's Priest's), comic book maker and Kamishibai storyteller. Chaucer would have loved it!


Next pics are my friends Catherine Ryan and Claire Saxby, lecturere and MC

And here is me and Danniel O'Connell - the Pardoner and the Miller 

Finally Simon Leverton - our Musical Director.


Thankyou Williamstown Literary Festival

The Canterbury Tales Book Club Project 2012

I haven't had this much fun in ages. When the Williamstown Literary Festival agreed to support The Canterbury Tales Book Club Project - they unleashed a monster!
Beginning with little to no knowledge of the Tales or Chaucer, we have learned much. I now know the source of the joke 'Three men walked into the bar ...', Catherine knows how to make a wimple and Danny has taught us that there is a product called Nicotine Tooth Enamel - to make your teeth look rotten.
Oh .. we have also learned lots about Middle English, Chaucer and the Tales. Enjoy the pic of Danny O'Connell and Catherine Ryan in my garden - they make an interesting couple I think. They were dressed for a publicity shot. Definitely front page material.
Pilgrims absent: Simon Leverton, Bernard Caleo and Claire Saxby


BOOKINGS: Williamstown Literary Festival

PAVE Festival Emerald. 2012

Thankyou to JJ Sheills, the PAVE Festival and Cafe Redbox for your 

friendship and hospitality. 

I had been looking forward to this festival for months. Friends Matteo, JJ Sheills and I had prepared a set of stories under the title of A Grimm Reminder - celebrating 200 years since Grimm's publication of Children's and Household Tales. Having tested the water at the Belgrave Library a few weeks ago, we finally presented our work at the PAVE Festival in the Cafe Redbox. There is no doubt that the tales can draw a crowd - so many have memories of their first brush with the Grimm's and none of those memories are neutral!


I spent the night in Emerald so I could attend the poet's breakfast in the morning and here I am presenting Phar Lap the wonderhorse. I also had a chance to tell the story: Lyrebird! a true story and was rewarded with a lovely bottle of red wine.




Enjoy the pic of my mate: Stephen Whiteside at the breakfast on  a chair way too small! 

And Matteo preparing to step up onto the stage at Cafe Redbox.

Canterbury Tales Book Club Project: Williamstown Literary Festival 6 May 2012

The Canterbury Tales Book Club Project met for the last time this weekend to swap notes and progress on our assigned tasks. At the Williamstown Literary Festival, Sunday May 6, 2012 we will present our findings on Chaucer and the Tales.

None of the participants knew anything much about the subject and the journey has been a hoot. Catherine Ryan, who is delivering a mini lecture for us, speaks for me when she says 'fear' kept her away from Chaucer. Will it be hard to understand?

Well ... its not. Its a revelation and a joy.

Our musical director, Simon Leverton, was so over come with delight at our gathering, he started dancing in my living room. Morris Dancing!!! Don't tell anyone - he is officially retired from the art, this was a relapse.

I have to say - I can't stop looking at these pictures. For years I have been thinking of writing a story for children with the title 'I saw a Man Dancing'. For me - there is something absolutely heartwarming and

uplifting to see the male of our species give over to dance. The male of any species for that matter. Perhaps that's why I love lyrebirds so much.

Thankyou Simon.

Please come and join the Canterbury Tales Book Club Project.

Check out the rest of the fabulous program and book online http://www.willylitfest.org.au/